The Woman In Stone
by geiney
Summary: This story takes place after Season 2 of Legend of the Seeker. Richard, with no new mission wants to take on the throne of D'hara, but the temporary leader, Lord Oswin wants to stay on the throne to keep D'hara safe from the New Lord Rahl, Richard. But a dark Wizard is on the verge of uncovering a woman in stone that will change the course of peace in the entire world.
1. Chapter 1

Richard set the book down and rubbed his forehead. They stopped at the nearest tavern to rest only to have broken up a violent confrontation between two opposing teams. It seemed that all of the Midlands knew of Richard's newest intentions. Originally they were travelling to Aydindril to help Kahlan's sister Denee restore law and order to the Midlands. Now they weren't so sure what they needed to do. Richard's plan was to take over the throne of D'hara and with Kahlan's help, unite all of the Midlands under one order, bringing peace for the first time in hundreds of years.

Richard flipped through the next page. More names. The ledger he was reading was of those who were involved in the riots that could be identified. Thankfully no one was killed, but many were seriously injured. Some had only a bruised eye, scuffed cheeks, cuts and bruises or a missing tooth as their injuries.

According to some of the men and women in the riot, one team wanted the Seeker as their D'haran ruler and others wanted to keep Lord Oswin as their ruler. Lord Oswin was appointed temporary ruler almost a year ago when Richard had to make a choice to keep the throne or risk complete anarchy. A last minute decision appointed Kennedy Oswin, a well-respected politician in the provinces of D'hara.

Richard and Kahlan had convinced him to take the title of leader temporarily. Richard had convinced the court to allow Oswin to take the throne while he quested for the Stone of Tears. After an attack from Banelings, souls who take up a bargain from the Keeper and return to the land of the living to kill, the court was convinced and allowed Oswin to take up the throne. The treaty was temporary until Richard Rahl returned to take up the throne under his name.

A knock on the door made Richard look up from the book. Kahlan had entered.

"You've been in here for hours. I was starting to get worried about you." He stood up and gave her a hug.

"I can't believe this is happening. We've just sealed the Keeper three weeks ago and there's already anarchy. I was afraid of this."

"Richard, this isn't your fault."

"I think it is. Maybe I should have gone to D'hara first before travelling to Aydindril. I could assume the throne and be done with all of this." He pointed at the ledger.

"Come on, Zedd and Cara are waiting downstairs. We are going to dine with the captain. She's going to explain to us what's been going on." Kahlan patted him on the back. Richard smiled. A warm dinner did sound good. And he'll get the answers he's been searching for

Zedd, Cara, Richard and Kahlan sat around the large circular booth across from Captain Ryan, a female elite soldier with long black hair tied in a pony tail. At the end of the tail there was a small thin black throwing blade attached; when asked about it, she smirked and said it was useful when she was surrounded. Cara was impressed.

Ryan was covered in silver-plated steel armor, with the crest of two swords clashing, the People's guard, the town's personal guards. Her long sword was strapped to her back and she had a dagger at her waist.

Zedd dug his hands into his food before the plate was even set on the table. The others waited while Captain Ryan retold the story.

"These riots have started since word came about that the Seeker would be taking over the throne of D'hara. Is it true, Seeker?"

"Call me, Richard, Captain Ryan." Richard smiled.

"Very well, Richard."

"Yes, it's true that I was going to take over the throne. We were heading to Aydindril first to restore law and order to the Midlands before I took over the throne. This way we could unite all of D'hara and the Midlands under one rule. Maybe I should have travelled to D'hara first."

Captain Ryan nodded. She took a hearty swig of her ale before she pointed a finger at Richard. "The people have started fearing you, Richard. That is what's causing these frequent riots. It's getting to the point where we're keeping five people to a cell. Our jails are filling up so fast we don't know what we're going to do if there's another riot."

"They're fearing me again? I thought I would've gained their trust when I defeated Darken Rahl and after defeating the Keeper." He huffed.

"It's your name. It's your blood line that has separated people." Ryan explained.

"The Rahl name is what's separating the loyalty of the people to Richard." Zedd said it with a mouthful of food.

"Could you swallow your food before you speak, Wizard?" Cara rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter what name he uses; Rahl, Cypher, Zorander. These names are part of Richard, who is the true heir of D'hara. Not that fat politician."

"Cara, we trust him on the throne." Kahlan said.

"I don't. I trust Richard. Not the fill-in."

"We appointed Lord Oswin because of his extensive background in politics. He was also the most trusted man within that court." Kahlan explained.

Richard thought about his situation. People don't just fight over names; it seemed too petty to have riots over such a thing. There was something else to it. Half of his blood was Zorander, the blood of a long line of Wizards. And his other half was Rahl, son of Panis Rahl, heir to the throne of D'hara after the death of Darken Rahl. Maybe they were afraid?

That had to be it. People were afraid of him becoming a tyrant like his brother. They were afraid he would abuse his power and enslave everyone like Darken Rahl had. But why couldn't they see him as the Seeker and not a tyrant? He didn't want to be a tyrant. He cared for his people, the same people he fought so hard to protect.

And then it clicked; wizard's first rule: people will believe a lie because they fear it is true, or they were afraid it was true. They were afraid that if he assumes the throne he could be a tyrant. That's why there were riots.

"I know why they are afraid." All eyes were on Richard, "They are afraid that I will become a tyrant like Darken Rahl because of my Rahl bloodline. They want Lord Oswin on the throne because he has become a trusted leader in D'hara. The people don't want another tyrant."

"But, Richard, you could never be a tyrant. You proved that by defeating Darken Rahl and sealing the Keeper back into the underworld." Kahlan comforted him.

Captain Ryan swallowed her food, "If it makes you feel any better, Richard, I vote for you on the throne. You have saved all of us twice. We owe you our gratitude. Now that the Keeper is not a problem, the people have gone back to being scared about petty little things. You've proved to us you could not be any one else but the Seeker, our savior."

Richard felt a little better, "Thank you, Captain Ryan. But I'm afraid this might be a bit more challenging than I thought. If I haven't won the people over by our last two quests, then I will never win them over."

"You can't please everyone, my boy," Zedd put down his mug of ale down, "Be there a tyrant on the throne or not, people will remain unhappy. What matters is that we show the people you won't be a tyrant. For that to happen we need to change directions to D'hara. It's possible that the longer we delay the more trouble we will get." Zedd foresaw.

"Very well. In that case, why not spend the night in town and leave in the morning? I will provide you with provisions and anything you may need for the journey." Captain Ryan said.

"Alright. Then we rest up for tonight and leave in the morning. We have to get Richard to the Palace of the Prophets. From there, Richard can assume the throne and we can stop the fighting." Cara explained.

"It may not be that easy, but if Richard's on the throne then it should be easier to stop the fighting. Richard would have his battalions to handle the messy business. Then his next mission would be to bring peace to D'hara and the rest of the Midlands." Captain Ryan spoke her opinion.

"First thing in the morning, we leave to set things right. Captain Ryan," Richard patted the woman on the shoulder, "Thank you for everything you have done for us."

"No need to thank me, Richard. The faster you get yourself on the throne, the more space I'll have in my dungeons." She sipped her ale.

Cara smiled, "I like this woman…"

Samuel stared at the reflection of light coming from the castle hidden in the Rang'Shada Mountains. The castle was big enough to house an entire village and still have room for guests. But they weren't an inn; it was a private fortress for them and only them. The sun was at its highest peak once the light glittered from the castle walls. Small crystals that could fit in the palm of one's hand littered the bricks of the castle. A truly magnificent sight no one would ever have the luxury of taking in.

Samuel turned from the sight and headed towards the fountain where his mistress saw the future, past and present. Her magic was the strongest when the sun reached its peak. He loved to watch his mistress witness what was going on around them. She told him everything she had seen.

Holes in the top of the cavern let light in. By night his Mistress had enchanted torches to light their way.

He approached the fountain where his mistress stood. Samuel wore leather armor turned dark with age. A sword was strapped to his back with a reflecting shine to it. His hands were covered in dried mud and dust; it was his job to keep the place as hidden as possible. To do that, he hid the entrances with mud and grass. His chin was covered in stubble leading up to his ears. His black eyes admired the beauty of his mistress.

Once he approached the fountain, he saw her lift a wooden bowl she used to see her visions. With ceremoniously careful hands she lifted the bowl from the water and let the drops of water drip back down to the pool. When they stopped dripping she took a deep breath and focused her power inside her. She opened her eyes and tilted the bowl towards herself and let the water fall. The water leveled out resembling a crystal screen.

"What do you see, Shota?" He asked, his croaky voice echoing softly in the cavern walls.

Shota was a woman with brilliant auburn wavy hair and amber eyes. Her hair had a sleek shine to it as if she had just bathed. Her porcelain face shined in the light reflecting off the castle in the distance. Her ruby red lips parted to let in a breath of air. She acknowledged Samuel while she watched the visions dance in her mind.

Samuel held his breath, careful not to distract his mistress. He watched her beautiful pale face as her eyes became distant, and she gave herself over to these visions.

She was so beautiful; he was glad she picked him to be her guardian. He was not happy when that stupid wizard Zedd stole the Sword of Truth from him but his mistress said he was destined for great things if he stuck with her. So here he was, forever infatuated with his mistress. He hoped one day he could make his mistress proud.

A gasp from Shota made him jump. Shota never gasped; something was wrong in her visions.

She saw the stone in the palace of the prophets; a new prophecy being written by the creator herself. An even more morbid prophecy was written. Shota saw it; her mind memorized the events of the past that led to the recent present. And then she saw what was to come.

With a cry she dropped the bowl and leaned forward, her hands gripped the fountain leaning over it. The reflection of light showed her horrified face. Her breaths were quick and ragged like she just ran a mile.

"Shota, what did you see?" A worried Samuel approached Shota. He hesitated touching her but when he touched her arm she did not pull away.

"Mistress, please. You need to rest." Taking her gently to a nearby bench made from the roots of a pine, he sat her down.

This was the first time Samuel had ever seen Shota so shaken from her visions. Not even when she foretold the Seeker's death did she get this scared. Something was terribly wrong.

"Shota?" He asked again, shaking her back to reality.

"Oh, Samuel… I saw the most horrifying vision you could imagine. I saw our destruction and our end."

"But, Mistress, the Keeper is defeated. He is sealed in the underworld for all eternity." He tried to comfort her.

"No." She shook her head. "This vision had no Keeper of the Underworld but an old forgotten enemy, one not mentioned in history. One I don't recognize, but I know this enemy will lead to our destruction."

She placed her head in her hands and took deep, shaky breaths to calm down.

"There is a new prophecy, Samuel. One that described what will happen. From this prophecy I saw the vision of the past, the present and the future."

"Tell me, Mistress. Why are you so scared?" Anything that scared her was something that he should fear.

"The prophecy says, 'The Seeker will uncover the gift of the creator, and the Mother Confessor will uncover the taint of the Keeper. Both gift and taint will be mended into one. The Seeker, in order to preserve all life, must destroy both gift and taint or the world will be devoured by darkness and be remade in the image of the one wielding the taint.' Samuel, I think this may be our end."

"No, Mistress. Please don't say that." His voice wavered. This sounded so bad, but he would protect his Mistress no matter what.

"Samuel, I told Zeddicus that he needed to name a new Seeker. Why doesn't that old buffoon ever listen?" She complained.

"Samuel. We must warn Zedd; we have to tell him about this prophecy. This is too dire for us to sit idle and do nothing. My visions are never wrong, and the Seeker is going to need all the help he can get if he is to defeat this new threat."

Shota started walking but stopped abruptly, "I don't know what I will do if Zeddicus refuses to listen. If he fails to listen then we must be the ones who will lead the Seeker one step ahead of the enemy."

"Do—do we have to see him? Can't we just send him a message?" He asked her. He was scared of Zeddicus, the one who stole the Sword of Truth. Zedd was still angry at him because he was chosen to be her protector. He knew Zedd was in love with Shota, but she chose him. He was happy about it, but he was still afraid of the wizard.

"No, Samuel. We must go warn him because only the Seeker will have the power to unite the world against this threat. And he will need our help too."

They stepped outside, their small palace within the mountain. Shota fell in love with the palace and made it hers, hidden in Agaden Reach. Many feared her home because of her powerful magic. She was a powerful sorceress and seer, feared and respected by many. The people even gave her a name that sent shudders down their spine; Witch Woman. Actually, if she remembered correctly, Zedd started that little trend.

No one bothered with her, but some who dared to enter return home frightened and traumatized. If they thought she was a joke, she would show them their worst nightmares. She was no joke; she was a woman to be feared.

She turned her head to the sky. Clouds of various shapes and sizes were scattered all over the bright blue heavens. She chanted and waved a hand back and forth; the sound of thunder clapped and shook the ground. She raised her voice, calling out for Zedd and then she shot her hand out and a clap of lightning scattered the clouds and morphed them. They swirled around the sky and finally slowed down. Almost every cloud continued to move around except for one.

She pointed, "There is our dear old friend, Zeddicus. Come Samuel, we leave at once. Over the mountains and across the river will we meet the great Wizard of the First Order."

The couple travelled for two days and crossed two rivers. They found Zeddicus after crossing the hills by a stream of clear water. He stood in the shade of a great oak tree. They approached him and Samuel hid behind his mistress; he tried to make himself as small as possible and hope to the spirits above that Zedd wouldn't see him.

Zedd, with his back to the couple sensed their approach, "I knew it could only be you, Shota. No one else knows how to look for me using the clouds."

"Clouds were your favorite thing, old man. Do you still read them?"

"Every day." He turned to the group nursing a baby rabbit with a bite taken off its back. The baby rabbit vibrated in pain; it would die soon.

Zedd reached down at his feet and pulled out an Aum plant. The plant had a thick stem with three leaves of five points. The juice of the Aum plant could heal mild wounds and injuries. Many healers, priests and alchemists used the plant to heal the sick. The Aum plant could be made into tea to combat sicknesses and the juice could heal abrasions and mild punctures. It was an extremely valuable plant.

Zedd bit the roots off and spit out the plant. He squeezed the plant and a few drops of the juice dripped unto the bleeding rabbit's injury. It shuddered violently and settled. Most of the bleeding had stopped and a good bit of flesh had grown back. Zedd chanted a spell and closed his eyes. Healing this type of injury would take some stamina from him, but it would be worth it. The rabbit kicked and moved in his hand, but he made sure it wouldn't fall off.

Shota waved her hands over the rabbit as well, the two chanting in unison. Sparkles of light swirled around the wizard and the sorceress, then to the rabbit, coating it. The two stopped chanting once they felt no more pull from their magic and took quick breaths. The rabbit uncurled itself and open up its tiny black eyes. It seemed grateful for what the two did. It twitched its nose to the both of them.

Zedd put the rabbit down on the ground. The rabbit turned to the two and gave another twitch before jumping back into its burrow.

"I have done my good deed for the day. I cannot wait to go back to the palace and eat a nice juicy leg of mutton." He beamed.

"I see you still have your unstoppable hunger," she gave a small smile, "Listen, Zeddicus. I have something dire to share with you. There is a new prophecy involving Richard and Kahlan. If it comes to pass they will need all of our help."

Zedd's face dropped, "Bags, Shota! Is that all you came here to do? Tell me prophecies over a cup of tea?"

"This is no joke, Zeddicus. There is a prophecy and from that prophecy I saw the events of time. And I saw the end of it all. Believe me, Zeddicus. Once it comes to pass, we will all need to be there to help the Seeker. This threat is even greater than the Keeper himself."

"Dear Spirits, what could be worse than the Keeper himself?" Zedd wondered aloud.

"This threat has always been here but it has been forgotten to save us. Or maybe in doing so it has brought our now inevitable end."

"Inevitable end? Shota, what are you talking about?" He rolled his eyes, "Is this another one of your riddles?"

Shota shook her head no, "Here me, Zeddicus. This prophecy may very well be our last if this threat cannot be stopped. 'The Seeker will uncover the gift of the creator and the Mother Confessor will uncover the taint of the Keeper. Both gift and taint will be mended into one. The Seeker, in order to preserve all life, must destroy both gift and taint or the world will be devoured by darkness and be remade in the image of the one wielding the taint.' "

"Bags, what does it mean?" He cursed to himself.

"It means exactly as you have heard it. Richard and Kahlan will bring forth a threat the likes we have never seen since the beginning of the ancient wizards."

She paused to let the information sink in before she continued, "I had warned you before, Zeddicus. You should have named a new Seeker of Truth long ago."

Zedd tensed up, "I did what you asked me! I named Leo as the Seeker of Truth and look what happened to him! He died when we retrieved Richard from the Palace of the Prophets!"

"Then you should have named another," She replied. Zedd glared. She continued, "Did you think that my warning would stop at Leo's death? You should have named another once he died."

Zedd couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You would ask me to name another when we rescued Richard?"

"Yes. And if that other Seeker died, then you name another. And another. Perhaps if you had done that, we wouldn't be in this mess. Richard and Kahlan are bound to find a gift and taint."

Zedd cursed under his breath and paced back and forth, Shota could sense why he was angry and now she understood.

"Zeddicus, I understand you want your grandson to continue the line as Seeker of Truth, but this pride has cost us dearly."

Zedd stopped, "Naming him Seeker of Truth was not a work of pride! I chose him because he has passed the test others failed. I did not want him to be the Seeker but he showed me he was capable of handling it. He has the heart of a true Seeker, not like the one you have hiding behind your back!"

Samuel whimpered and tried to make himself smaller behind his mistress. That one stung her a bit. She wanted Samuel to be hers so she could control the Seeker but that had failed. Regardless, she tried to hide the bitter feelings she still felt about that.

"Very well, Zeddicus. I do not disagree with your choice, but perhaps it would have been better if another had taken his place." There was a moment of silence between them, "Perhaps if Leo had survived this new prophecy might have not had been written. Leo, too, had the heart of a true Seeker. It's a shame you didn't name him first."

"As the Seeker, Richard stopped Darken Rahl and the Keeper. Now he fights to unite all of D'hara under his rule. He is going to save many. He was supposed to stop the tyranny that Darken Rahl and Panis Rahl and those before him started. A world where the leader of D'hara cared for his people."

"He is also going to kill many more if he continues this path. Zeddicus, please," she begged, "heed my warnings. If naming a new Seeker is not an option then do not allow Richard and Kahlan to go seeking these objects. Or they will bring about our destruction."

She turned from Zedd, "Come, Samuel. We must prepare to help the Seeker out, because the inevitable is that Richard and Kahlan will bring about our own destruction."

"Do you have so little faith in Richard?"

She stopped and turned her head to look at him, "No, I have too much faith in my visions. They always come to pass. You yourself know this truth, Zeddicus. We were together once. You know my powers. You do not need a Confessor to tell you I'm telling you the truth."

Shota waved goodbye to Zedd and turned away from him, "Come, Samuel!"

Samuel turned to glance at Zedd. The wizard shook his head, disappointed in the man. He had warned Samuel not to travel to Agaden Reach, but still he did. It was Samuel's pride that caused him to be bewitched by Shota. The woman had cursed him to serve her until his dying breath. He had become just a pawn to her, a pet. There was no helping Samuel now. He was lost to her spells.

Samuel sagged his shoulders, an action that almost took Zedd by surprise. Samuel stood up straight and turned away from Zedd, shoulders hunched, looking like someone guilty of a crime.

"Poor fool." Zedd muttered. He looked up the skies. Why couldn't things just be simple for once? Now he was going to be thinking about Shota's prophecy throughout the day. To make things worse his hunger suddenly vanished; replaced by a growing pain in his stomach. He was worried now about this new prophecy. Things just couldn't get worse from here…

Darken Rahl walked around Nicci chained up to the post. Her nearly naked body was covered in cuts, bruises, sweat, and blood. Darken Rahl had worn a vest but he took it off midway through his training with Nicci. His broad shoulders and tight abdomen glistened with his sweat and her blood. His dark hair fell down to his shoulders. His face and beard were sticky with her blood, a satisfying thought to him.

Nicci only wore a loincloth around her waist, the rest of her body bare, bruised and weak. Time always flew by when he was training his pet. Nicci sobbed; she no longer knew the difference between sobbing and gasping. It all mended into one.

Her arms were tied up by restraints attached to the pole behind her back. One eye was swollen and closed; her cheeks were puffed up from the physical assault. Her mouth bled and her lips were cut. Her breasts moved with her rapid, panicked breathing. Her wrists were bleeding from the restraints digging into her flesh. Her legs were bent over, too weak to hold herself up anymore.

The Rada'han acted like a choker around her neck. This collar was used to keep wizards and sorcerers from using their magic, trapping the magic in their bodies. The magic couldn't be released with the Rada'han on; as such wizards couldn't cast spells. Nicci obtained Richard's Han, his magic, in the Palace of the Prophets when she tricked him into willingly giving her his Han to escape his prison.

Darken Rahl kept the collar on her. It was a constant reminder that she was his pet. Master Rahl had told Nicci she had been there a few weeks, but she didn't remember when she arrived. She was slowly losing her memories, her sanity. There was no hope for her. She was stuck there until Master Rahl was finished with her training.

Darken Rahl tapped the Agiel against his palm. Pain flashing through his arm turned to adrenaline; the more he tapped the torture instrument to his palm, the more excited he became.

"I want to hear you scream." He ordered and poked the sensitive flesh of her bruised ribs. The chains rattled, her bare feet slid against the floor from the sweat and blood, trying to pull herself up. She saw specks of red and yellow light in her vision. She shook violently, screaming with all her might.

Darken Rahl pulled back the Agiel as Nicci continued to scream. Her voice was hoarse and tired. She coughed and sobbed. There was nothing she could do but take whatever torture Darken Rahl had to give her.

"I want you to beg me to stop."

Nicci whimpered and shook her head no. She was tired. She wanted to be home, a different home than this place. A home where she felt safe and secure… If Master Rahl could hear her thoughts she was done for… No, death wasn't an option. The Mord'Sith outside could revive her with the breath of life. Death was never an option and she wished to the Keeper himself that it was.

He walked behind her and found a good place to poke his pet, "Beg. Now." He jabbed the Agiel behind her neck. Nicci shot forward, her feet kicking and sliding against the floor. She stopped struggling, feeling something warm shoot out of her mouth. She saw little stars and the pounding of her head, her vision blacking out around the edges.

The words were being forced out of her mouth before she even thought about it.

"Please! Master Rahl, stop!" She sobbed. The pain stopped when he pulled his hand away.

"I am very pleased with you, Nicci, my pet. You have come a long way. It shouldn't be too much longer before you pledge your undying, unconditional loyalty and love to me." He hummed as he thought about it, "How you'll surrender your body and please your master even the most profane desire."

Nicci could only hear bits and pieces; her head hurt so much it was like it was being squeezed by a vice.

Darken Rahl licked the tip of his fingers and rubbed it on his lips. "That completes your training, my pet. You deserve your bath for today. I want you clean for some time alone, later this evening. And you will cooperate."

"Sister Belevich! Sister Albina!" He called out. The door opened to reveal two Mord'Sith wearing blood red leather.

The first Mord'Sith, Sister Belevich, wore her black hair tight in a long pony tail reaching midway down her spine. The other wore blond hair in dreadlocks that covered the nape of her neck.

"Yes, Master Rahl?" The two spoke in unison, grinning at the bloody scene before them. They knew Rahl had fun with Nicci today, Sister Belevich, the youngest recruit, was impressed by Darken Rahl's skills using an Agiel. She hoped to learn from him.

"Release Nicci and draw her a nice, warm bath." He stressed the last part of the sentence and the two women returned him a naughty, knowing smile.

Darken Rahl walked out of the room and the two sisters released the wrist and ankle restraints from the pole. Nicci collapsed to the floor with a gasp. She unconsciously rubbed her wrists, heat flaring her wrists as her hands touched the open flesh.

The two sisters walked out without a word and slammed the door behind them.

The cold stone floor felt welcoming and strangely comfortable to Nicci. She didn't think they would mind if she just closed her eyes for a few minutes…

A quick jab with the Agiel startled Nicci awake.

"I did not say you could sleep, Nicci. Get up. We've drawn you a bath…" He grinned. He loved saying that. He would repeat it every time.

He all but dragged her body to the bathing room. When they arrived he made her stand upright in front of the pool of steaming hot water. Nicci knew that the water was scalding hot.

Darken Rahl reached down and dropped her loincloth to the floor. Nicci, out of habit kicked it off.

He leaned in closer to her ear and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Enjoy your bath, Nicci. The water's nice."

In one swift motion he grabbed her hair, pulled her head back and shoved her into the pool of hot water.

Nicci screamed as she was pushed into an inferno. Fire spread throughout her entire body. Pricks of hot needles poked every part of her. She kicked and thrashed from the intensity of the heat. She swam to the edge and put her arms out unto the cool tile. She did not dare get out of the pool; Darken Rahl would surely punish her. Darken Rahl watched her struggle for a few moments longer before retreating back to his chambers.

Once he slammed the door closed, Nicci got out of the water and lay on her back. She noticed a Mord'Sith watching her with her arms crossed and a cautioning look on her face.

That was Sister Lily. A Mord'Sith who was ordered to watch her to make sure she didn't leave the room. Lily could care less if she was out of the pool. To her, Nicci was Darken Rahl's pet. She couldn't expect a pet to do as they were told all the time. As long as she didn't leave the room, she didn't care what she did in that room.

Once the water cooled a considerable amount she stepped back into the pool. A cloud of red began to darken the water. Her cuts burned as they were reintroduced to the water. With a bar of soap and a wash cloth she began to bathe herself.

Her normal bathing procedure began with her meticulously washing every cut and bruise. She began counting the cuts and bruises. Eight bruises, three abrasions, two small cuts and one bump to her body.

She realized her injuries were considerably less than the week before. She thought about what she was doing differently. For one, she no longer fought Darken Rahl, but let him do as he pleased to her body. She also began following his orders without complaint. Perhaps she was in the wrong this whole time?

That was it! If she could behave for Darken—Master Rahl, he might beat her less. She brightened at the thought of no longer having to endure the pain of the Agiel. She remembered that Darken Rahl wanted her in bed later today. She hurried up and cleaned herself to please him. Maybe if she pleased him tonight, tomorrow might come with less torture. It was definitely worth a shot. Anything to stop with the Agiel… it hurt her so much to be touched by the Agiel… But that was going to stop soon because she was going to please her Master tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Sister Verna paced back and forth in the Chamber of Prophecies. Her restless night proved that something was wrong and now here she was reading the new prophecy etched in the stone that the Creator gifted the Sisters of the Light. The prophecy spoke of the Seeker and the Mother Confessor.

"No, this cannot be. Oh, sweet Creator, protect us in this dark hour." Verna was dressed in a red dress with white leather slippers. Her hair slipped past the matching bandana tied to her head by a thin black belt. Her Dacra knifes were attached to a holster around her waist.

The Dacra was a blade with a curved tip used by the Sisters of the Light and Dark mainly for combat. If the blades were to be released, the Dacra would take the shape of a triangular weapon. The Dacra was also a tool the sisters could use against an opponent. For those with magic, the Dacra would absorb the opponent's Han, their magic, and if the sister were to touch it, their opponent's Han would be theirs.

For those with non-magical skills, the Dacra could be thrown towards their opponent. Once the Dacra was in the body, the opponent couldn't remove the Dacra without dying. The Dacra could only be removed by one of the Sisters.

Verna reminded herself to calm down and a quick prayer to the Creator managed to calm her mind. Now that she had read the prophecy for herself, she knew that Richard and Kahlan were central in the future of their world. What was unclear was the "gift" of the creator and the "taint" of the Keeper. She had no knowledge of what that could be referring to, nor did she know where she could begin to look for an answer.

The Creator gave her people many gifts; too many to count. Sister Verna closed her eyes. None of that was helpful. She thought of the taint of the Keeper. There were only a few recorded taints or curses left by that Underworld ruler's influence. One of them was the cursed souls known as Banelings, wandering forever on the earth, never seeing the Light of the Creator. Another was Subtractive magic, the magic that could remove things from the plane of existence; the darkest and most foul magic to ever exist. Magic used to remove all things good or bring back from the dead. Dark magic.

Again that didn't help Sister Verna narrow down an answer. It could be a number of things; the prophecy wasn't specific. Perhaps it was all gifts against all curses? No, probably not.

"Start over, Verna." She whispered to herself.

She acknowledged the first part of the Prophecy. The Seeker, in this case Richard Rahl, will find the Gift of the creator. Perhaps this "gift" was an object? Or maybe a spirit? Whatever it was, Richard was sure to find it. He isn't the Seeker of Truth for no reason if he does not seek what is lost… Sister Verna needed to get back on track.

The Mother Confessor will unleash the taint of the Keeper. The Mother Confessor in this case had to be Kahlan Amnell. Sister Verna could not see her willingly unleash the Keeper's taint, however. The Mother Confessor wielded her power justly and was the world's fairest judge. Truly a shining example to her people.

Something was at play there; maybe someone was controlling the Mother Confessor? Whatever the case, she knew that Richard was to find a gift and Kahlan was to unleash a curse. That much she understood.

Both gift and taint will be mended into one. What did that mean? Did that mean the taint will corrupt the gift? Or perhaps it is two objects into one? But that would mean that Richard would have to find the gift in order for it to be 'mended into one'. This was too confusing for her. Not knowing what that meant, she continued to think on the rest of the prophecy.

If the Seeker does not destroy both gift and taint then the world will be devoured by darkness and be remade in the image of the one wielding the taint. That was rather ominous. The Seeker must destroy both or the world will be destroyed. She still had no idea what the Seeker would be destroying. Prophecies were often vague and this one was complicated.

The wording made it sound like it was an object; perhaps a medallion or a weapon? Either way, the Seeker was in trouble. She needed to go see him. But if she left, the Prelate, her commander, would be furious. If the Prelate denied her request to help Richard, then she would do whatever she must to aid the Seeker.

She owed Richard at least that. She still felt responsible for endangering Richard's life when she brought him in. It was her mission to ensure the sisters could help him. She spent twenty-two years looking outside the protection of the palace for the supposed wizard and found him in the nick of time. Richard was already experiencing the headaches that came from a wizard not knowing how to control their Han.

When he arrived, she paid no attention to his requests to leave the palace. She thought she was doing him good, but that was before she realized a Sister of the Dark was helping Richard. The battle afterwards was long and painful. People she once cared for, once called friend, or Sister, became her enemies.

Even after he escaped, he almost died in the Desert of Perdition. Going against the Prelate's orders, she ran in with Richard's companions and fought the Sisters of the Dark. The Sisters of the Dark managed to kill Leo, the temporary Seeker of Truth, and almost killed the Mother Confessor and Richard.

Sister Nicci had taken Richard's Han and with it; she tried to rendezvous the Sisters of the Dark against the Palace of the Prophets, but she failed. Nicci ended up escaping, and even now, she had no idea where the traitor had ended up. It was best to be prepared in the event she decided to attack the Palace. They would be ready to kill the Sisters of the Dark and she had a grudge to settle.

Sister Verna prayed to the Creator to help persuade the Prelate. It was her only way to help Richard.

"If it comes down to it, I will leave the palace. Richard will need my help." She strutted down the stone and carpeted halls to the Prelate's office. She walked with purpose; she needed to help Richard. This was too important.

She remembered denying Richard the chance to leave to finish his quest to defeat the Keeper. She should have done something to help but she thought she was doing it for his well-being. Never did she imagine his mission would be that critical. She didn't believe he was waging war against the Keeper. She had made such a stupid, foolish mistake.

She was not going to allow another mistake like that again. She realized she had already arrived at the Prelate's office and a young Sister stood to greet her.

"What can I do for you, Sister Verna?" The young Sister curtsied.

"I'm here to see the Prelate. Please let her know I am here."

The young sister quickly scanned her book but did not see Sister Verna's name written.

"I'm sorry, Sister Verna. But you do not have an appointment with the Prelate. She is currently in a meeting with the young wizard Mathias, and is not available to see anyone."

"Tell her a new prophecy has been etched and a dire one at that."

The young Sister paled the color of marble.

"N-new prophecy?"

Sister Verna nodded, feeling impatient at the young Sister. The Sister stood up from her seat, turned on her heel and walked through a hallway. Sister Verna heard a few taps on the heavy wooden door and some hushed voices. A moment passed and the young sister arrived with the Prelate.

The Prelate was one of the oldest sisters around, over four hundred years, though she appeared as if she were in her early sixties. Thanks to the enchantment in the Palace of the Prophets, everyone aged ten times slower. However, if the Sisters set foot outside, they would no longer be enchanted; thus they would age regularly.

The Prelate had gray eyes and her lips were tightly sealed together. She held her hands behind her back and arched an eyebrow at Sister Verna.

"You say a new prophecy has been etched? What does it say?" The Prelate's voice was cold almost impatient.

"It would be best that you see it for yourself, Prelate. The prophecy is written in an ominous way and its words are confusing."

"Just spit it out!" The Prelate blurted out.

Sister Verna's eyes narrowed. She was just trying to get the Prelate to read the prophecy herself and there she was being snappy with her. She was still upset that she disobeyed her orders to help the Seeker. If that was the game she was going to play…

Sister Verna repeated the Prophecy. The Prelate's eyes went distant if only for a moment before going back to the cold glare she gave Verna.

"It is unclear."

"With all due respect, Prelate. It would be better if you could read it for yourself instead of listening to my words."

The Prelate scoffed, "Then why did you bother me? For such an obscure prophecy? I shouldn't waste my time listening to your babble." The Prelate turned her back and Verna decided to stop biting her tongue.

"You know damn well the prophecy speaks of Richard and Kahlan!"

The prelate slowly turned around, teeth grit, "Excuse yourself!"

"No! You are still upset with me because I decided to help Richard when he stumbled upon the Desert of Perdition. You refused to help him! You left him to die! Without him he would have never defeated the Keeper of the Underworld. The very being we fight against and you tried to hand over Richard to the enemy. No more! I am done following your orders!"

She turned to leave but the Prelate's booming voice stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to help Richard. Since it is obvious you don't want to."

"You have disobeyed me for the last time! As Prelate I strip you of your rank as a Sister of the Light. You will be cleaning the swine pits until you learn what you have given up."

Sister Verna turned around and raised her chin up high, her chest out, "I refuse to stay here any longer. If you are as foolish as to think the prophecy means nothing, then I will no longer stay under your supervision. I will warn the Seeker of this new prophecy and you will not stop me." Verna turned on her heel and walked out of the office.

The Prelate's face flushed from anger. The young Sister stood awkwardly behind the Prelate and the whole situation left her feeling embarrassed and unsure what to do. She decided to sit down before the Prelate got on her tail for standing behind her. The sister grabbed a quill and began writing nonsense hoping the Prelate wouldn't burst her anger on her.

The Prelate wanted to throw daggers at the stubborn useless woman. How dare she disobey her again? She made it very clear what would happen if she did it again. Helping the Seeker? That man was as blind as a bat. He refused to learn how to control his magic; he gave up his Han to a Sister of the Dark and he refused to become a great and powerful wizard. She wanted him to stay, to become the wizard the prophecies spoke of. But he destroyed that prophecy when he gave up his Han.

It was because of him that she realized the prophecies were only half truths. That didn't mean that the prophecies would come to pass. She paid no mind to the new prophecy the Sister spoke of. It probably wouldn't come true anyways. Just like when the prophecy promised the Prelate a great and powerful wizard, this one would not come true. If it was the Creator's will, then everything would turn out alright. And if it didn't, then the Creator was tired of them all. They could all die for all she cared…

Tencom, the dark wizard, reached the third peak of the Northern Mountains of D'hara. His fingers were cold and numb. Even with the fur gloves he had on, he no longer felt the ability to touch anything. All he felt was a cold, tingly sensation. His magic allowed for the blizzard to not faze him but it did not shield him from the outside temperature. He now knew why the wizards of old would banish a creature to these lands. No one would ever think to climbs these mountains. Except him.

It had been a year and six months since he had last seen his lord and master, Darken Rahl. Darken Rahl ended up accidentally stumbling upon an ancient secret the wizards of old had left in this world and the master wanted to see if the legend was true or not. There was a gift of tremendous power by a kind woman who wielded said power. But that was where the records stopped. It was such a mystery that Darken Rahl had to assuage his curiosity about it.

He asked Tencom, his closest dark wizard to search for the hidden secret and a year later, he had found the possible tomb of such power. The wizards of old were said to have had a final confrontation with a hag with tremendous power over all magic, a woman immortal. Their only option was to encase her in marble and stone. The kind woman and the hag seemed to tie together somehow, based upon his research.

But couldn't they just strip her powers? Or maybe they couldn't? Perhaps they weren't strong enough to remove those powers? Or maybe they had nowhere to place those powers? Many questions, theories and thoughts ran through Tencom's head. There was so much mystery wrapped up in this legend that he couldn't help but admit to his addiction to this myth. He wondered if this captured hag really did exist. There was hardly any records left and those he did find were cryptic and ominous.

Either way, he could see why Lord Rahl was so interested in this woman. Besides; the power of this woman—or this hag, was shrouded in mystery. Tencom imagined a woman wrapped in a shawl. Only her smile was visible. No one knew this woman. There was no name, no recollection of her anywhere besides a small one sentence record of a war of the wizards against this woman.

Now he hoped to find something hidden in the walls of this mountain. He reached the mouth of the small cavity in the peak and took out the map from his pack. After some effort he found the map and read it. He nodded and looked up. On the map there was a shape of a five pointed star with the star pointing down, and on the cavity wall, on the far end was a rock in the formation of a five pointed star pointing downwards.

This is where he would set up camp. He dropped the pack that he didn't realize had become heavy until it was off his shoulders. Using a small trowel from his pack he made a pit. Looking around, he found nothing he could use to burn for a fire. Then he remembered he had grabbed a small thin log of wood back at the inn two nights ago. He emptied the contents on the ground; ink wells, a quill, a Journey book used to magically communicate with someone using the blood of a person, a small sack of coins, his necromancy spell book, and an assortment of hand tools from diggers to a hand axe. The wooden log hit the ground with a dull thud.

He grabbed it and waved his hands back and forth. He began chanting and every time he would wave his arm, the log would grow in length by an inch. When the log was big enough, he put it back on the floor and grabbed his axe. He chopped it into threes and placed them next to the far end of the wall.

He stepped back and raised his hands and started chanting the spell of duplication. Before his eyes the logs began duplicating themselves. Six logs now stood before him. He cast the spell once more to make twelve logs. He heaved a sigh; the spell took some stamina from him but it was worth it. He had logs to start a fire. He grabbed three logs and placed them on the pit. Using a small bit of fire, he was able to ignite the wood.

With that out of the way it was time to magically barrier the mouth of the cavern in the event a storm blew his way, he would hate to lose any progress he made or worse, die for a foolish mistake.

"Sister Verna!" Verna turned around to see Sister Mariette run towards her. After the battle with the Sisters of the Dark many fellow sisters had lost the people they once called friends. Verna was no exception. She gained new loyal friends to replace those who would rather have the Keeper destroy all life. The young excitable girl jumped up to give her senior a hug. Verna admired that Mariette was always smiling even in the toughest of times, a pleasant change to the palace.

Sister Mariette wore her pink uniform dress, a common dress-wear for novice Sisters who were still studying sorcery. She even had a pink scarf.

"Sister Mariette. How good to see you again." Sister Verna hugged her back.

"Let the woman breathe, Mariette." Sister Victoria tried to pry the girl off her senior. Victoria had the same dress as Sister Mariette except she wore a pink bandana on her head.

"Oh, sorry." Sister Mariette giggled. She noticed the saddened look on her senior's face and for a moment dropped her smile. "What's wrong, Sister Verna? Why do you look like that?" She pointed.

"Like what?" Sister Verna tried to wipe the imaginary smudge off her face.

"Like all sad. What happened?"

"Nothing, child." She said.

"With all due respect, Sister Verna," Victoria started, "you are a terrible liar amongst your peers."

"I guess some things don't change." She gave a weak smile and began to explain to them both how there was a new prophecy, how she was kicked out of the Palace of the Prophets and what her new mission was.

"So you are going to protect the Seeker? I wanna come!" She held her hand up and her tongue stuck out of her mouth.

"Sister Mariette, have some respect. Do you even know what it is you are asking for?" Sister Victoria started, "You are asking to accompany Sister Verna outside of the Palace." She stressed, "Furthermore, there won't be any magic to protect you outside the palace walls."

Sister Mariette's resolve wavered for a moment, but then she looked up to meet Verna's gaze, "I don't care. Sister Verna was there for me many years ago. She brought me here to the Palace, and gave me a home. She has been my friend through the good and the bad. She even protected me against the Sisters of the Dark. If Sister Verna is banished, then so am I. I will be joining you, Sister Verna."

Both sisters were impressed at Mariette's little speech. Victoria knew that after that there was no persuading Mariette; she was going to go with Verna whether she liked it or not. And If Mariette left with Verna, then she too, would join in. Someone had to keep Mariette in line and Sister Verna couldn't handle her by herself. Looks like her hands were tied.

"Fine. I am going, too." Victoria announced.

Sister Verna tried to dissuade them but with Mariette's resolve in her eyes and Victoria's shake of the head she knew she was stuck with them.

"Oh, alright. Just grab an enchanted bag and fill it with only your most important possessions. Bring some dried meat if you have it. It's going to be a long journey."

Sister Verna waited in the center of the town for the two of them. She felt the need to just up and leave; the outside world was not the place for children. She's made the journey outside the palace once already. It took half her life to find Richard and she knew of all the dangers, all the bad people, all the wild animals and beasts of the land.

She had half a mind to leave them here in the protection of the city. So then why did she want their companionship? A tear drop rolled down her cheeks… Sadness. Loneliness. _Dear Creator, give me strength._

Tencom finished his checklist of things he needed to do; shield him from the storm, build his campsite and make sure he had enough provisions. He only had a handful of dried meats and some fruit. It was going to be a pain to climb back down…

He could enchant a crystal and use it as a beacon. He could teleport to the foot of the mountain with ease. That's what he would do next. But first he needed to find an entrance.

He skimmed the few books and scrolls he managed to obtain but none told him of an entrance. Just a five pointed star. Could it be that the star was an entrance? And how could he open it?

He tried everything from pushing the star with his hand to trying to open a portal through; neither worked. The star was enchanted and would open if the correct spell was cast. Now if he could just get a hint about what spell he needed, that would be great!

He brought his fist up and unclenched his fingers. Magic poured out of his body in the form of a torrent of wind. The star began to glow and seemed to absorb the magic. The wind stopped and the glowing intensified. The wind was shot back at Tencom and he raised his hands and brought up a transparent shield to protect him from the oncoming spell. Having been unprepared, the blast that hit the shield knocked him to the ground. When the wind died he let the shield dissipate.

He was impressed, proud of the way the wizards of old locked this tomb. "Clever wizards." It was the first time he had seen a door repel magic. The wizards of old studied and taught very powerful magic. Tencom had to say he was impressed by their level of skill.

So if not wind magic, then maybe darkness? Maybe since the tomb's symbol was a symbol of dark magic that was the key to opening the tomb up. It was worth a shot.

He raised his arms to the sky and rotated his wrists. A cloud appeared and darkened to the color of the night sky. The cloud dripped blobs of darkness unto the ground. Like fire, the blobs incinerated into a purple looking flame. The darkness touched the star and the flames began to grow. The star began to glow once more. Tencom waved his arms and the cloud disappeared. The star's light intensified.

Preparing himself for the oncoming attack, he powered up his shield and raised it. Blobs of darkness were shot out towards Tencom. Once the blobs stopped, he waved his hand and the shield disappeared.

"No darkness." He skimmed the first book that Darken Rahl had given him. Nothing about what kind of magic they used to entomb the woman. The books and scrolls jumped all over the place and he didn't know if the woman behind that star was a woman or a hag. Maybe lightning would be the key to entry.

He threw his hand forward and shot a bolt of lightning towards the star. The star glowed and absorbed the lightning. With his other hand he rotated his open hand and ice crystallized over the star which was quickly absorbed.

He gathered enough Han in his body and let his arms go limp. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body. The star shot both spells at the wizard but were repelled off his body by his magic towards the back end of the walls. Tencom dodged out of the way and magic was sent back where the dark wizard once stood. He heard as the whistle of magic flew past him and echoed loudly out in the open. He watched the magic disappear into the distance and a few moments later there was a light flash in the distance with the faint sound of an avalanche.

He screamed as he brought both his hands up. Just as he was about to cast a random spell he noticed the faint glow of the star. He approached the star and realized the glow was from small letters etched into the star. He deduced that the magic he had been casting activated the star to illuminate the instructions.

_To open the door, the star must touch the floor._ Tencom raised an eyebrow. What kind of riddle was this? He knelt in front of the star. Stars don't touch the ground. They linger in the heavens.

Perhaps the riddle spoke of a fallen star? That still didn't make any sense. Stars don't just fall from the skies just like that. Tencom growled and tapped his fingers on his knees. He wracked his brain trying to think of an answer. And then his mind saw it.

He knew the star was the entrance but what if it was the door literally? With his fingers he traced the outlines of the star. He looked even closer and saw a hair-thin line going around the star. This star was placed here to repel magic being thrown into it. But what if the door was pulled out by his magic?

He stepped back until he was at the center of the mouth of the cavern. He took a deep breath and raised his arms, keeping his hands limp. He grabbed the imaginary handle of the door, and when he felt the magic lock onto it, he pulled slightly. He didn't feel a pull back. He opened his eyes; the star wasn't glowing. He pulled harder and he heard the sound of a creak.

That was it! He used his magic to pull on the star even harder. Creaking and cracking the star began moving towards him. When it was far enough out of the opening the star collapsed to the ground. He breathed out and gave a chortle. That wasn't so bad.

When he tried to step through the star-shaped opening, he was blasted back through. He landed hard on his back, his body hurt from the impact. He got up but was too disoriented to stand straight and stumbled even further. His shoulder hit the edge and he ended up rolling off the cliff side. He clumsily grabbed the edge of the cliff and fought to stop the world from spinning.

When he recovered he hauled himself up and lay on his back. The muscles on his ribs and stomach felt tender. The blast shook his very being. He had not been expecting such strong defenses before even managing to step inside. Despite what had happened, he was still impressed at their skill of locking a tomb away.

Tencom made his way carefully into the opening. There was no telling what kinds of traps or things he would be encountering within this tomb. If the wizards of old feared something, they did their best to keep it hidden.

They were the reason why they made the Confessors in the first place, to combat corruption and keep justice in the Midlands. More powerful magic existed under their command than it did now. A magic that could bend the will of anyone they touched, even a dark wizard like himself.

The first chamber was lined with dead torches. A quick wave of his hand and the torches were relit. The chamber led down to an even bigger opening. When he entered he couldn't help but marvel at the way it was constructed. The wizards of old handcrafted this tomb with ancient magic far beyond his capabilities. Everything was carved into the mountain; the hallways, the chambers and everywhere in between. He entered the first opening. Some crystals were spread all over the roof giving a glint of color from the light of the torches.

Rocks of different shapes and sizes littered the ground. The distance from the floor to the roof was at least thirty feet. There was a damp smell within the chamber. Stairs leading down deeper into the abyss were on the left side of the room. There were old ruined books on the far right side of the room. Tencom was glad they hadn't set up traps to ruin this majestic moment.

An unexpected roar brought Tencom to a battle position. _So much for that thought_.

A group of undead soldiers appeared at the top of the stairs. Their eyes glowed red and the undead soldiers wailed in a hellish cacophony of agony that resonated throughout the whole cliff side when they spotted Tencom. They had full skeleton figures and a chest plate over the bones of their chests.

Tencom raised an arm ready to throw fire at the soldiers. An idea made him stop and instead he took a couple steps back. He had to gather enough magical energy to cast the next spell. The soldiers began to separate and surround him. Tencom's back hit the wall. The soldiers raised their swords and approached the dark wizard. The first soldier stepped forward to rush him but instead Tencom raised his hand and a small shockwave was thrown to the soldiers.

The soldiers stopped, frozen in time. Tencom stepped forward and waved a hand at the faces of the soldiers, almost taunting them. He chuckled, "I could use some minions." He continued to laugh.

Until the ground started to shake. The rocks that littered the floor began to vibrate and move. Tencom watched as the rocks began moving to one side of the room, the sound of rock against rock ringing in the emptiness of the chamber. Rocks started to stack themselves on top of one another, growing in size and shape.

Tencom glared at the creature. The wizards of old performed very powerful magic, an ancient magic long forgotten. The rock formation began to take the shape of a human, and then its eyes glowed white.

Tencom groaned; between arriving, unlocking the tomb and freezing the undead soldiers, he had used up a lot of his Han. He turned to the soldiers and waved his hands at the soldiers. The soldiers began to move and turned towards their new master.

"Attack the creature!" He ordered.

The soldiers rushed the golem, striking it with their swords. It swiped at one soldier, knocking it apart in seconds. It groaned and turned around and smashed the second to powder with its fist.

Tencom shot Wizard's Fire at the creature and it raised an arm to shield itself from the hot flames. The creature seemed quite annoyed at the soldiers swatting it like gnats and decided to focus on the wizard.

The golem threw its hand out and its fist flew out of its socket. Tencom raised a shield but was knocked into a wall. He groaned painfully as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Beneath the golem, the soldiers continued their mostly useless assault.

The golem grabbed a soldier around the waist and threw it on the opposite side of the chamber. With three down, the golem prepared to end the small skirmish it had found itself in. Grabbing the fourth soldier, the golem slammed it on the fifth soldier and knocked them both into pieces.

The last soldier continued to swing its blade almost rhythmically, not understanding how fruitless its endeavors were. Tencom got up and before the golem could do anything else, the dark wizard brought his hands up and made the air around the golem denser by the second. The golem raised its fist but stopped; the fist instead came back on top of the golem. The air became so tense that the golem struggled to move against the imaginary restraints. The golem fell to one knee.

The soldier continued to attack. Tencom, with his hands raised, began to breathe heavily. The spell was using more magic to contain the creature than he would have liked. He tried to think of a plan; anything to stop the creature. Finally, Tencom could not hold back the golem anymore and with a drop to his knees he released the creature.

The golem got up and roared at the wizard. The golem threw its other hand out and its hand went flying. The golem overcompensated its trajectory and missed Tencom completely.

The golem raised its foot and stomped on the final soldier, extinguishing its undead life.

Tencom got up, an idea forming in his mind. He turned to look at the distance of the star to his current position. It looked like he could do it. He shot Wizard's Fire at the creature once more. The fire stuck to the golem and Tencom ran outside and gathered a bag of seeds. He opened the small sack and grabbed a handful. He ran in and threw the seeds at the golem. Chanting a spell, the seeds began to glow and form roots, stems, vines, and branches.

The plants wrapped around the creature and constricted it. Tencom raised his hands and shot bolts of lightning at the writhing golem.

The blast from the lightning threw chunks of heavy boulders at Tencom who was thrown back from the force. He groaned when his back hit the wall, his vision blurred and he saw small sparkles of light. His head pulsed in pain and his whole body ached. He hoped that was the last of the enemies he would face but something inside told him that the wizards of old had other tricks up their sleeve.

"Very powerful indeed." He groaned as he lay on the floor, waiting for his body to recover. He was beginning to think the legend of this woman was true. In order for the wizards of old to place that much security into place, they had to be very afraid of this woman being unearthed. Maybe Darken Rahl was on to something there.

His head throbbed so painfully that he began to see his vision blur. Maybe if he could just close his eyes for a few minutes he could recover…


	3. Chapter 3

Lord Oswin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. More and more reports seemed to confirm that Richard was coming to take the throne of D'hara. He couldn't let Richard take the throne. He may be the Seeker, but he is a Rahl. All Rahl men were tyrants. He needed to put a stop to the tyranny.

They were the ones who came to ask him to take the throne temporarily while Richard quested for the Stone of Tears. But Richard can't be the Seeker and a Rahl. He needs to choose one. Richard can continue being Seeker of Truth. Oswin didn't care. As the Seeker he would remain a benefactor to the people of the Midlands and an asset to D'hara. Besides, Richard forfeited his right to the throne when he called a meeting and declared Oswin the new leader for D'hara

Rahl: the supposed leader of D'hara. No, not men but evil tyrants who bed women, eat luxurious meals and sleep comfortably while the rest of D'hara falls victim to their deceit. Lord Oswin would lead the kingdom to greater heights than they ever have been.

But a pang of guilt hit his stomach. He was the one instigating riots against the Seeker's expected rise to rule, fanning flames already there. This was not very king like… No. This was necessary. By dividing the people against Richard, he could unite them and protect them from potential tyranny. That's what he promised the people when he was coroneted. No one challenged him or the Seeker at the time. This plan of his would work, to unite D'hara against any more tyranny from the Rahl family.

He felt a pain in his throat, and heat in his eyes. With a wave of his hand he dismissed his assistant. He stood up and walked silently to his chambers. The memories still hurt him. He was lucky he even had a wife after what happened.

Back when Darken Rahl was leading D'hara, Lord Oswin, an advancing politician at that time, tried to convince the court Darken Rahl was a corrupt man. His pleas fell on deaf ears and he was silenced. He was stripped of his rank as a politician.

Not long after that, a man snuck into his home, beat his wife and killed his daughter. She was four years old. Then the man stabbed Oswin in the gut. Upon leaving the man laughed heartily and said, "Long live Lord Rahl, the true heir of D'hara. If you survive, consider asking Lord Rahl for forgiveness." Miraculously, the man _had_ survived.

But he lost the joy what made him live…

Upon arriving at his bed chambers he closed the door. His wife must not be in yet. Every day she would visit the local orphanage and help take care of the children, filling the hole that that vile man gave both of them. Lord Oswin opened up a drawer and removed the clothing of his late daughter. He hugged the green dress and cried into it. He sniffled, his heart sinking to his stomach. Even after two years his daughter's clothes still smelled like her.

He curled up on his bed, holding the clothes as tight to his body as he could. He sobbed, letting his feelings go and submitting himself to the sadness. His precious little girl was no more. He thought back to how she would steady herself on the porch's wooden hand rails. Her bare feet carefully treaded the thin structure.

She wanted to make people laugh. She wanted to become an acrobat-jester. She would flip over the railing landing on her feet with grace. She had a magnificent skill for such a young child, not afraid of any height or any jump. Suddenly, his sadness became anger. There was no way he would let the Seeker become the new Rahl. He refused to allow it.

He kissed the clothes of his daughter and folded them neatly and stuck them back in the drawer. He had gold to burn. He needed to pay more groups of people to continue the riots. They could be bought. Darken Rahl bought many of his victims, those that became "loyal" to the Lord Rahl. They didn't care who they were loyal to as long as they could hear the jingle of coins or the laughter of the women.

Lord Oswin was terrified. Terrified what the riots could lead to, the lives lost. In the end, he didn't even understand Richard's newfound desire to run the country anyways. A Seeker was better suited to saving the world, not listening to politicians play games of chance and intrigue.

He owed Richard for taking down Darken Rahl; that much he knew. However, his loyalty would extend no further if Richard's goals for kingship drove him too far. If another tyrant should rise, Oswin would lead the charge. Whether a Rahl could be trusted or not mattered little. What ultimately mattered was the safety of the citizens; he just hoped Richard could understand that.

If hearing the rioters express their disillusionment with him could work in his favor, all the better.

Sister Verna, Mariette and Victoria met at the town square, each one wearing their respectable dresses. Verna was the only one who wore a red dress; the other two wore their pink dresses. Each one had a small bag on their backs. With one last glimpse at the Palace of the Prophets, the three headed out of the city.

Sister Mariette couldn't control herself as she started gushing about what she knew about the outside world. Sister Mariette loved to read, her fascination with the outside world compelling her to pour hours into lengthy documents on the stories and information of such a foreign place. She especially wanted to try out the cuisine D'haran kingdom offered. Dishes of meats prepared with extravagant herbs and spices; their descriptions and paintings alone would make her mouth water.

"Doesn't that sound good?" Mariette started, "Mutton of the West, a dish prepared with potatoes, carrots, onions, and zucchini. The mutton is prepared with a special blend of herbs and spices known as the D'haran hot-winds. I have to try their dish and their beers and wines-"

"You are not drinking any alcohol!" Sister Victoria interrupted.

Sister Mariette pouted, "But why not!?"

"Need I remind you what happened last time?" Victoria walked ahead without looking back at Mariette.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mariette crossed her arms over her chest.

"I heard you caused quite a scene, young lady. You turned even the calmest gentleman into chasing you like a dog." Verna cracked a smile.

Mariette shrieked, "Sister Verna heard!?"

"I thought you didn't know what we were talking about?" Victoria smirked.

Mariette threw her hands up, "It was an over exaggeration!"

"You ran around naked in the streets looking for your long lost soul-mate, Alex Finn."

Mariette blushed and muttered something incoherent under her breath. When they were no longer within the limits of the city, Verna stopped.

"You girls have one last chance to turn back," Verna started, staring at a bug on a nearby tree, "The road outside is long and dangerous. On my first trip I lost two of the sisters travelling with me to the outside. You will no longer be protected by the magic of the city walls. You will begin aging like a normal person. If you wish to turn back, I will not hold it against you. I only want you both to understand what is going to happen now that we have left the safety of the palace."

"I'm still going to stick by you no matter what." Sister Mariette said it so surely that Verna had to look up. Mariette's eyes reflected how much she meant that and Verna couldn't help but to feel relieved.

"Count me in, too. I have to keep this troublemaker in line." Sister Victoria said.

"Who are you calling troublemaker?" Mariette shot back. Verna smiled warmly. She was glad for their companionship. The road to the outside world was one long and hard journey. Having companions that you care about made the journey that much more pleasant. With the three together, Verna hoped that nothing bad would happen to them. While the last time she journeyed they got to the Seeker, it wasn't without its dangers.

She would have to make sure all the wild beasts stayed away with her magics, lest they be assailed in the night by any manner of creature. And as she took the first step forward she knew there was no going back. She needed to warn the Seeker and he needed her help when the time would come. He may not believe in prophecies but she did and she was going to make sure the Seeker would continue to walk in the light of the Creator.

As promised, Richard and his group were given provisions to last the trip. If they could ride at an even pace they would make it to Brennidon. Then from there, the Palace of the Prophets was only a hundred leagues. They would be able to make it within a fortnight.

The three days were a peaceful ride for the group, giving Richard some time to think. The more he thought about it the more his thoughts hurt him. It hurt to know that the people he fought so hard to free, to protect from the Keeper's grasp, how they turned on him for his name. Two years ago, he was a woods' guide living in Hartland. He was so sure of himself back then, a woodsman guiding people through the woods, teaching them how to survive, taking groups of people on tours through the forest. Richard Cypher was his name. He hadn't known he was adopted at the time, but he loved George Cypher like a father and he loved Richard like his own son.

Richard laughed at the memory. He had known Zedd at the time, but back then he only knew him as the crazy old man who talked to his chickens. He was friends with Zedd as well. Zedd had taught him the value of plants; which to touch, which not to touch, which plants healed and which plants were poison. With his knowledge, Richard could place a bet that Zedd could have opened his own apothecary shop had he not the habit of talking to his chickens day in and out.

And then Kahlan came through the boundary… He still remembered the first time he saw her. She was surrounded by a Quad, a group of four elite assassins, hired by Darken Rahl to kill her. He stepped in front to try to help her. He ended up wrestling one of the members and another tried to kill her. Kahlan was faster.

Kahlan dodged the man's sword; her hand reached for his throat and released the magic she constantly kept at bay. The man gasped as her power touched him. She ordered him to attack the Quad. The man killed two and tackled the third off the cliff.

Shortly after, he was named Seeker of Truth for passing the test not many could pass, according to Zedd. His adventure took him places he never imagined existed, and he helped save so many people from tyranny, injustice, helplessness, those that were lost, and innocents who were sentenced to death.

During his travels he had found out more about himself, about how he was adopted, how he came to be in Hartland. Kahlan had found the truth out first when Zedd was put in a situation where he had to admit a deep secret. Richard was his grandson. Zedd was accused of impregnating a woman and was the father of a boy. Zedd argued with the woman that the boy couldn't be his son. Kahlan was the judge between the two.

She noticed Zedd's eyes, how the shadow of truth was in his eyes. When he refused to admit what he was hiding she took him to a separate room. Finally, he admitted that the boy wasn't his kin because Richard was his only kin. Kahlan found out he had lost his daughter to a Quad. Richard was his only grandson, the last of the Zorander blood line. The situation was cleared, but Zedd made Kahlan swear not to tell Richard for his fear that if Richard knows of his blood Relationship with Zedd, he could jeopardize his entire mission. Richard Zorander.

A year later, he had found out after killing Darken Rahl that he was in fact son of Panis Rahl. The very reason why the Mord'Sith's magic flowed through their Agiels. The Mord'Sith received their power from the blood of the Rahl family. Cara soon found out who the true Lord Rahl was after being beaten and abandoned by her other sisters of the Agiel. His new name became Richard Rahl.

When she joined, Zedd and Kahlan had negative feelings towards Cara. Zedd was afraid of her at the time, for Mord'Sith could deflect and repel magic. Zedd was powerless around her. Kahlan could confess her if she tried to attack them, killing her instantly. Kahlan protested the idea of Cara travelling with them. But Richard put his trust in her, since she helped him kill Darken Rahl. It took time for Zedd and Kahlan to trust Cara, but the more they travelled, the more they fought alongside each other and Cara became a trustworthy companion. Unbeknownst to the group, Cara admitted to a night wisp, a fragile creature of the Midlands that she thought of her companions as her friends and she loved them.

Now, they were fighting about his name. Richard felt it was too petty. It was almost unbelievable that they would fight about the name of the man that freed them twice. It made him livid. How could they fight over something so trivial, so unimportant?

Perhaps someone was starting something against him? That made sense. If they thought he was going to take over the throne then it was a natural reaction to fight against him. Now he had to find the person responsible for tarnishing his name, or trying to. He rolled his eyes. It could be anyone at this point. And that wasn't enough information to narrow down a suspect.

But it had to be someone with influential power within D'hara, someone with the potential to have a wide reach of power over the main influencers in the city. Now that he thought about it, it was too weird how every other town they stopped in were overrun with reports of riots due to political reasons. Perhaps there was a movement against having Richard be the Lord Rahl. There was a temporary leader and perhaps they wanted Lord Oswin to be on the throne.

Lord Oswin was a respected politician and natural born leader of the people. It almost felt cruel to take him away from the throne. Richard knew he had to keep the man on his side. He could make him an adviser; that way Lord Oswin didn't have to leave the People's Palace. He could stay and work for Richard. Their ambitions combined could unify a peaceful country.

That would be a true sight to see; three provinces united. Westland, the Midlands, and D'hara all under one rule. Richard knew that his homeland, Hartland, would want him to lead them. Kahlan and her Sister, Dennee, had strong influence in the Midlands. Working with Richard, they could bring peace to the Midlands and stop the fighting D'hara had started. With Richard on the throne of D'hara he could do so much good. There would be no more fighting, no more suffering, no more injustice, and any loyal to Darken Rahl would be subject to the laws of their unified rule.

He only needed to stop the riots over his name…

"Richard! Did you not hear me?" Cara brought him back to reality.

"What?"

"I said it will get dark out soon. We should set up camp at the foot of the mountain." She pointed northwest of their current direction, "We would be protected from the weather if we set up there."

Richard analyzed the foot of the mountain. If they were to stay there they would be safe from the winds that were picking up from the west. The watch-shifts would only have to worry about their front as their rears would be covered by the steep mountain side.

Richard nodded, "That's a good idea." He commented.

Cara shrugged and led the group towards the direction of the mountains. She noticed Richard drifting off away from the group, his eyes unfocused. His mind was somewhere else.

"Richard!" She called out. Richard's eyes met hers. She motioned the direction they were heading, "We're going this way."

"Of course." He guided his horse to the northwest and after a few leagues they began setting up camp.

They had luckily set up camp near a stream of fresh water. Richard led the horses to the small body of flowing water and tied them to a nearby tree. The horses' heads bobbed as their tongues lapped up the water. The horses snickered, almost as if saying 'thank you' for the water break.

Kahlan had begun clearing a space for a campfire and their camp. She picked up discarded brush and dumped the dry wood in a pile they would use for kindling. Any rocks or large objects were moved out of the way. Using one of her knives she cleared some thistle bush, careful not to touch the hundreds of small thorns on the green plant with long stem.

When she was finished she inspected her work; their sleeping spot was a space of about four paces wide and five paces long. Now they could place their blankets down without any worries of bugs or prickly plants.

Richard, after tying the horses to the trees, announced he would pick up firewood.

"Cara and I will go hunting." Zedd announced. Cara tested the strength of the bow string, and moved to Kahlan's horse to pick up the small quiver of arrows.

Richard silently began looking for scraps of branches and when he found nothing he inspected the campsite. A small distance away he found a long tree that had fallen down. He grabbed his axe from his horse and walked the distance to the tree. He noticed the soft earth surrounding the tree's stump and deduced that it must have fallen down due to old age. The tree was somewhat falling apart but not decaying. The bark of the tree was still strong and dry; it would make for good firewood. He chopped off a section of the stump, enough for one night's worth of firewood. Then he chopped that section into threes and then sixths.

He brought the firewood over to Kahlan who had already dug a small pit and surrounded the edge with rocks of different sizes. He set four pieces of wood in a cross formation. Then he grabbed the brush Kahlan had cleared and placed it in different spots on the wood. He grabbed his flint from his side pocket and took out a knife he used for carving wood. He struck the flint sending sparks to the brush.

He switched from blowing air into the brush and striking the flint stone. Once he saw smoke rise from one spot, he began fanning until embers began to form. After a few more blows a small fire began forming. He quickly moved to another side and began doing the same thing. Striking, blowing, striking, fanning, and back to blowing.

Eventually he had a small fire surrounding the cross of wood and beginning to burn brighter than before. He left the fire to burn by itself and returned his items to either his pocket or into his bag by the horses.

"You're awful quiet, Richard." Kahlan commented.

Richard turned to look at her, "I'm not quiet. Am I?"

"You have been since we left Valentine. What are you thinking about?"

"The same thing I've been thinking about since we talked with Ryan." Richard admitted.

Kahlan understood. "You're upset that the people still fight over loyalty to you."

"It just… hurts. We've risked all of our lives more than once to save these people from evil and the way they repay us is fighting over a name."

Kahlan embraced him with one arm, "Richard. We are thankful to have you as the Seeker. You have accomplished more than any Seeker has ever had to do. And you've also sacrificed many things to get to where we are now. Maybe the people would understand if they hear your side of the story instead of what other people tell them."

"Maybe. But I still don't like this. We'll need to talk to Lord Oswin. When he hands over the throne I'll tell them my story."

Kahlan nodded, "What about Lord Oswin? What are you going to do with him?" Kahlan sat next to him, turning her body slightly towards him.

"He's been a very good leader and a fair judge. I want to keep him in my court. We could do so much good if we work together."

"I thought so. I knew he was a good leader the moment I laid eyes on him."

Richard grinned, "I knew he was an effective leader by his actions." Richard leaned closer to her.

"Did you now?" She leaned in the rest of the way and gave him a chaste kiss.

"I can't wait until we get married!" Richard commented.

"Me neither. It will be a glorious moment for this entire country." Kahlan said.

They stared into each other's' eyes for a moment before they turned away at the sound of someone arguing.

"What is that?" Richard asked. As the argument got louder, it became clear Zedd and Cara were really getting into it.

"You know, old man, maybe if you used your magic to help me drag this damn carcass to the campsite, you could be eating right now. Instead I have to do all the work. Can you even call yourself a man by having a woman do the work for you?"

"You know exactly how I get when I'm hungry! For all you know, one slight push and this deer could fly back to the People's Palace."

"You're always hungry, Wizard. Maybe if you hadn't been born with a bottomless stomach you could focus more." Cara argued, pulling with all her strength as the deer was dragged to the campsite. Zedd's scrawny frame didn't seem to be helping even though he was pushing from behind.

"Why don't you get on the deer and I can send you to the People's Palace? It will be the ride of your life." Zedd sassed.

"That would be a good idea," Both groaned as the deer was caught on uneven ground. Cara used her legs to pull the deer towards her. Once the deer was free she continued walking towards the campsite, dragging the deer behind her with the rope over her shoulder. She could see Richard and Kahlan thirty paces from their current position. "Maybe at the People's Palace I wouldn't be stuck with an always hungry Wizard. I could be doing so much more than hunting deer."

"Yes, and I would enjoy peaceful nights." Zedd retorted.

"What is going on with those two?" Kahlan asked Richard.

"Zedd is hungry." Richard answered.

Cara arrived near the campsite and decided to drop the deer as it was. Now that the weight was off her shoulders, literally, she stomped to where Kahlan was.

"I caught the animal. You two deal with it!" She clapped her red leathered hands together, shaking off any dust from the trek.

"Zedd, gather some herbs for the deer. There was a patch of white mushrooms and some herbs growing about a league back. If you can gather those we could have a nice meal." Kahlan instructed.

"A Wizard of the First Order gathering herbs and spices?" Zedd lifted an eyebrow.

Richard clasped him on the shoulder, "Cara will make a delicious meal with them. And you know she can cook."

Zedd muttered something incoherent as he left in the direction of the spices. Richard and Kahlan all but laughed at how childish he was being. Zedd must've been really hungry if he had that attitude.

"Well, now that the three of us are together, I will take first watch." Cara declared with hands at her hips. The soft jingle of the chain of the Agiel was heard every time she moved.

"I'll take the second watch." Kahlan place a finger on Richard's lips to keep him from talking first.

"Then I will take the last shift." Richard declared.

"Maybe it will give the old man time to rest." Cara teased.

Kahlan and Richard started to work on the deer; Cara began to scout the area for potential threats and vulnerabilities. Working together, the duo had skinned, butchered, and cut slabs of meat for their meal. By the time they were finished, Zedd arrived with his hands full of mushrooms and herbs.

The smell of the spiced venison meat permeated the campsite. Cara paid close attention to the deer meat, careful to give slow even turns of the meat on the metal spit. Kahlan watched, impressed. It was the first time she had seen Cara so focused cooking. Maybe if she hadn't been Mord'Sith she would make a very fine cook. Kahlan gave a sad smile, thinking what it would be like for Cara to have had a normal life.

"What are _you_ thinking of?" Richard inquired.

Kahlan gave Richard a sad look. "Just thinking about the kind of life Cara would have had she not become Mord'Sith." She muttered.

"Kahlan," She turned to him, "None of that. I know Cara is prideful of her life right now. She would rather be here with us than somewhere else. She is a tough woman. Just like you."

That made Kahlan smile. Richard patted her on the shoulder before sitting down to read their maps. Zedd sat down with Richard and both began to look through their maps and examine their surroundings and begin crafting their plan to quell the country's dissent.

Before Kahlan turned to do something else, she swore she saw Cara give off a satisfied smile at her task…


	4. Chapter 4

The four heroes rode at a gallop to Brennidon. They didn't meet any travelers along the way, not a bad sign but there were usually many travelers along the side roads in the spring. Peddlers, dealers, mercenaries, were usually out in the open offering their services to nobles or to the common public. Richard thought it was weird that he wouldn't see anyone out. He didn't particularly like the silent trip, silent usually meant trouble.

When they arrived, there seemed to have been trouble because the city gates were closed with five armed guards standing alert on the front gate. Six archers readied themselves on the city walls and towers.

"Woah!" Richard patted the horse to a stop.

"Lower your weapons!" Cried one of the men, when no one did he bellowed, "It's the Seeker!"

The armed men lowered their weapons and the Seeker and his gang dismounted from their horses.

"What seems to be the trouble here?" Richard asked.

"Seeker." The man wearing a red cape stepped forward, he greeted the Seeker and his companions before turning back to Richard, "I'm Captain Mohamed." He removed his helmet to reveal a man with an olive complexion. "We've had an unusual report of the dead coming back to life."

"The dead coming back to life?" Richard repeated, not sure he had heard right.

"Impossible! Richard sealed the Keeper in the underworld; the war against the Keeper is over." Zedd commented.

"I never said Banelings." Captain Mohamed clarified. Kahlan and Zedd gave each other a funny look.

"Then how do you know the dead have returned?" Richard asked.

"One of the local farmers has caused some hysteria recently. Yet what he claims he saw matches the evidence at the graveyard. You'll have to talk with him if you want to know more. I don't know much other than he saw skeletons walk like the living."

Kahlan turned to Zedd, "Is that possible? Skeletons walking around?"

Zedd nodded his bony head, "yes, it is possible. There is a form of dark magic called necromancy. This type of dark magic can conjure the dead, bring back evil spirits, curse, and even capture the souls of people alive or dead. If someone has that kind of power it could rival that of a Wizard of the First Order like me."

"I thought you were the only powerful wizard left." Cara voiced her concern.

"Yes, I thought so too. It seems I have a rival of my own."

"Who saw this happen?" Richard asked the captain.

"I think his name is Nate. His farm is about a thousand paces from the north wall of the city. You can see his windmill if you go through the city to the north gates. He was shaken up about it." He paused for a beat, "Seeker, tell me the truth. Are we up against another war? I don't think my family can take it. We lost all our sons. Our grandchildren are being raised without a father. Our family has been through so much. We won't know what to do if there is another war."

"Don't worry. We'll handle anything that comes our way," He gave the man a reassuring smile. "For now keep people from entering and leaving the city until we get to the bottom of this. Is the graveyard inside the city walls?"

"No, Sir. They are a distance to the south."

Richard nodded, "keep your walls secured. We'll check this out."

Nate's farm was well kept. The crops were in fields of perfect squares and there were an abundance of wheat and oats. On the far side of the farm was another field planted with what looked like tomato plants wrapped around pikes raised to the sky. The pikes were raised ten feet from the ground and on the top the wooden beams connected each of the pikes.

Some of the tomato plants reached the top and snaked over towards the next pike. Others were still wrapped around the wooden pike with some distance to the top. This construction kept the tomato plants from being destroyed on the ground and the plants could grow farther and bear more fruit.

Kahlan knocked on the door. A man slowly opened the door and peaked at the opening.

"Mother Confessor!" He gasped, opening the door wide, "What brings you to my humble home?" He bowed.

Kahlan kindly helped the man up, "We were wondering if you could tell us what happened at the graveyard. The guards said you saw the dead walking around like the living?"

The man nodded, "Yes, Mother Confessor. I was just laying flowers on my Wife's grave when I heard this sound. It almost sounded like teeth biting bone, a chittering sound. When I went to investigate I saw a skeleton help another skeleton out of a grave. It was the most frightening thing I've ever seen. They had no eyes, but their sockets glowed a sickening yellow color. They saw me and I could have sworn my heart stopped."

The man was shaking now, "That thing opened its mouth and I could hear its whisper telling me to die. I ran as fast as I could."

Kahlan turned to Zedd, "Any idea what kind of spell this could be?"

Zedd shook his head no, "It could be anything. Necromancy is not an easy form of magic. It took me many years to master many spells, but necromancy is something I have never touched. Necromancy is subtractive magic, the one type of magic I could not conjure."

"Darken Rahl can conjure Subtractive magic. Do you think it could be him summoning the dead?" Cara asked.

"Perhaps, but Darken Rahl's subtractive magic was focused on the underworld, trying to bring the Keeper into this World. In my whole life I have never seen a skeleton walk like the living. This couldn't be Darken Rahl."

"How hard can it be to summon a skeleton back to life?" Cara genuinely asked Zedd.

Zedd thought about it, "It may be very hard or very easy. Since I do not possess the skill to conjure subtractive magic I cannot be sure."

"Then we need to find who is responsible." Richard ordered, he turned to the old man. "The cemetery, were you alone when it happened?"

"Yes – well, no. There was a young man there. He looked like a peasant and there was a young beautiful woman. They both looked like there were looking for one of the graves. But I didn't see them when I saw the skeletons."

"Then that leaves us without any clues. Was there anyone who looked like a sorcerer or a wizard?" Richard prodded.

"Not at all." The old man shook his head.

Richard nodded to Zedd. Kahlan spoke up, "Let's go to the cemetery then. We might be able to find some clue there."

Richard thanked the old man. With the information they acquired they headed towards their next objective; the graveyard.

"Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous?" Cara spoke up after too long of a silence between them.

"Ridiculous how?" Kahlan asked.

"Skeletons don't just walk around even with magic. Have we ever seen a skeleton walk like the living?" Cara demanded to know.

"Banelings are people that died, took the Keeper's bargain, and returned to the land of the living to kill. Zedd didn't think he would see a baneling in his lifetime but we all saw it. We all fought against them." Richard argued.

"That was something entirely different." Cara huffed, "The Keeper was behind that plot. But this, a skeleton," She stressed," cannot walk like the living.

"Maybe Darken Rahl knows someone who can summon the dead like this. He did have legions under his command, he would know which direction we should go."

"Then we need to have a talk with Darken Rahl." Cara almost licked her lips seductively.

"Darken Rahl will not bend to your agiels." Zedd reminded Cara.

"Who said anything about using the Agiels?" Cara lifted an eyebrow. "I have another weapon in my arsenal. I know exactly how to _please_," she purred, "Darken Rahl."

Richard and Zedd never wanted to hear Cara say that again.

The four arrived at the cemetery without so much as a disturbance. Richard stayed alert. If the farmer's story was true, there could be more than just a skeleton lurking around.

Zedd found the empty graves first and called the rest over. The ground had been disturbed, a couple of shovels lay discarded near the site. The wooden casket was halfway out of the grave, wide open with the body missing. A total of ten graves were disturbed with the bodies missing.

"They were here. Now they're gone." Cara said, disappointed.

"Zedd can you pick up anything from here? A spell, or other forms of magic?" Richard asked.

Zedd lifted his thin arm, his hand wide open and slowly waved it. He sensed the energies used around the area. His mind showed a dark color lingering above the graves. Nothing too specific other than the type of magic used.

"Subtractive magic was used on these graves." He exhaled.

The chatter of teeth could be heard nearby and the group turned around to see the skeletons emerging from a nearby mausoleum. They all wielded longswords, no armor on their skeletal frames. Their eye sockets glowed a dark yellow, the color of soup broth.

Their mouths opened, they communicated in nothing but teeth chatter and hisses. The ten missing skeletons stood in a row in front of the mausoleum, their swords raised, ready to fight.

The steel from the Sword of Truth rang in the silent air. Cara's agiels were unsheathed slowly, she studied the beings, surprised at the accurate description the farmer gave. Zedd's mouth dropped, never had he thought he would see a skeleton walk around. This was indeed subtractive magic at work. He realized Darken Rahl could not have done this, this type of magic was beyond even his understanding. Or at least, he never bothered to learn how to raise the dead. Kahlan's knives were in her hands faster than one could blink.

The skeletons began walking forward and the group split up.

Richard raised his sword and blocked the first skeleton's attack. He brought his sword down on the first skeleton, then danced around the next two. He struck faster than the skeletons could attack. He turned to the third and blocked its two attacks, then he struck them without mercy.

Kahlan fought two at the same time. She too, danced with the enemy. She slashed each arm following the other, then back. With elegance she sidestepped a skeleton, then slashed. She waltzed, avoiding the strike of a sword, slash.

Cara raised her agiels, crossing them in front of her, blocking an attack, then she parried off and attacked the next skeleton. She blocked and parried the attacks of the skeletons. She studied their movements, their attacks and understanding how they fought. Cara sank to one knee and jabbed the Agiel upwards on the chest of one.

The skeleton began convulsing, Cara frowned. It could feel pain? Cara pulled back her first agiel and bashed the skeleton in the back, dropping the sword. Cara spun around struck the skeleton in the skull as hard as she could, breaking the skull in multiple pieces.

Zedd watched as the last skeleton tried to attack Cara from behind. As if pulling an invisible rope, the last skeleton was sent flying into a tree where it disintegrated into fragments of bone and dust.

"This was not Darken Rahl." Richard concluded.

Zedd nodded, "This was a magic altogether different. It is subtractive magic, but this form of magic Darken Rahl knows nothing about. If he did, then Richard would have been fighting skeletons this entire time."

"Then someone else is doing this." Kahlan looked around, but no one was around.

Richard realized something, "There were two more people here. The farmer said there was a young man and a woman. Do you think they saw anything?"

"It's possible. You'll need to talk with the farmer again." Zedd suggested, "Otherwise, I have no idea where to start."

"Mistress!" Samuel bowed in front of Shota, "What do we do now?"

Shota stood still, her hand caressed her cheek a moment. She turned back to Samuel.

"I do not know, Samuel. But after what I saw we cannot sit still and do nothing. We must help the Seeker. This new enemy is as terrifying as the Keeper. We need to do everything in our power to keep it from happening."

She paused, "We must make sure the Boxes of Orden are in our possession."

"Th-the boxes of—of Orden!?" Samuel stuttered, he trembled. "The boxes of immense power?"

Unbeknownst to Shota, Richard had separated the boxes leaving one in Westland, one in the People's palace and one in hidden in the hunting grounds of the Mud People, native people whom were friends and family of Kahlan's.

"We need to go to the People's Palace and find out where they are keeping the Boxes. From there we can hide them in case things go from bad to worse. By possessing them we ensure that we have one more weapon that the enemy does not. The Boxes of Orden should be powerful enough in the Seeker's hands to defeat this new opponent, or perhaps they will be better off in our possession." She trailed off thinking about that situation.

"But who is this new opponent, Mistress?" Samuel asked, his voice weak and shaky.

"An old forgotten foe from ages past, they have no name because it has been lost to time. Not everything has been recorded in time, dear Samuel. Some things are better left forgotten. It is unlucky that the time has come when this old enemy will be released."

"Mistress, I do not like the sound of this." Samuel began, his eyes tearing up, his voice broken from fear. "I saw the way you looked when you gazed into the pool of time, you were scared Mistress. Anything that scares you scares me too, Mistress. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He whimpered.

Shota knelt down to his level and wiped the tears away. "My dear caring Samuel. Yes, I am frightened, but I will be damned if I let this old foe imprison us due to a fear. We must be brave Samuel. Can you do that for me? Can you be brave for what we must do?"

Samuel took a deep breath, "Yes, Mistress! I can be brave for you." He stood up tall, and beat his chest to show Shota that he could be brave.

Shota smiled, amused, "And will you be brave in the face of danger? In the face of someone who may be familiar?" She asked.

"Yes, Mistress!" He chanted.

"Will you be able to kill me in battle?" The question hit Samuel hard like a ton of bricks.

"M-mistress? Why would you ask that?"

"Because, dear Samuel. Not everything is as it will appear. Someday you may need to decide who's more important. The fate of everyone's lives or mine."

"But you're life is so much more important!" Samuel defended.

Shota caressed his cheek, like a cat he seemed to cuddle into her hand, she smiled. "Yes, my life may be important. But soon, Samuel, we will need to decide who is more important. The poor people out in the street who steal just to survive, the wealthy who look down on people because they have the luxuries no one can afford, the people with magic, or the people who fight to protect everyone. We will need to make a choice, and it will not be easy."

Samuel thought about it, "What does that mean, Mistress?"

"You will learn in time," She smiled pleasantly, "But right now, we need to make it to the People's palace. It is time to play our part in these events. Be brave Samuel. I have a lot of faith in you."


	5. Chapter 5

Darken Rahl left Nicci's abused body in his bed chambers. He had to remind his pet that she was the cause of his horrible looking body. The flesh of his body from the torso down was covered in third degree burns. The healers said that most of his skin would never be the same again. The smooth tight flesh that he once had could no longer be recovered. He beat Nicci into understanding that she was to pay dearly for that dire mistake.

Nicci was left covered in more blood, bruises and a broken bone or two on Rahl's bedchamber. She moaned pitifully as her head spun to unconsciousness. Darken Rahl dressed himself in his nightly tunic and headed to his desk on the other side of his tower. He grabbed a hand towel on his way out and wiped the sweat and blood from his face. His walk to the other end of the tower was peaceful. When he arrived in the conference room, Sister Belevich was already there writing in a parchment.

"Lord Rahl." Sister Belevich approached. She bowed in front of him. Her black ponytail went down to her waist and carried heftiness to it as she strode towards him.

"Sister Belevich. What news do you have from the outside world?" He was of course referring to D'hara. He began walking at a leisurely pace around the room and tossed the towel carelessly on his desk.

"There seems to be a lot of uncertainty in D'hara. The people are torn between two halves. I have been told by a little bird that Lord Oswin is causing trouble for the Seeker."

Darken Rahl knitted his eyebrows together, thinking about that name. While familiar to him, he couldn't muster the right memories to put a face to the name. He hummed as Sister Belevich waited for his acknowledgement. He paced slowly for a few moments before going over to his desk where a small tray of fruit was stationed for Rahl's appetite.

"Oswin… Kennedy Oswin?" Darken Rahl picked up a rose colored apple. A delightful scent wafted from the fruit. He bit into the apple; the crunch of its flesh was loud and the fruit was ripe with juice that dripped down his chin.

"Yes, my Lord. Lord Oswin was appointed to the throne as a temporary solution while the Seeker battled the Keeper one year ago."

"So my dear brother decided to deny his kingship. I hadn't known that. I am rather impressed he fought the Keeper of the Underworld without the aid of the D'haran empire. Taking on the Keeper singlehandedly is a most impressive, if not awe-inspiring feat. No doubt they will be singing songs of the Seeker for years to come." He chuckled, taking another bite of the apple.

"I can see that Oswin survived the attack." He continued.

"Attack, my Lord?" Belevich raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I ordered an attack on Oswin after he began speaking out against me four years ago. He took to calling me a tyrant among other things. I decided to make an example of him. I ordered for his wife to be beat and his child killed in front of my good friend, Kennedy. But Demmin Nass, my right hand man, got too carried away and beat her before Kennedy arrived home. I thought for sure she would leave him but I found out later that she continued to stay with him."

He took another bite, chewing on the fruit and tossing it high into the air. He caught it without looking.

"Of course, I do remember them having some marital issues afterwards." His following shrug indicated to Belevich how little what he had done mattered to him. "So Kennedy is the current leader of D'hara. I wonder what'll happen once Richard takes his throne back." He turned to Sister Belevich, "You said temporary solution, correct? Meaning that Richard plans to take back what belongs to him. What does Oswin think about that?" He smirked, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Lord Oswin does not want the Seeker to take the throne. In fact, he's the one paying for the riots against Richard."

Rahl's smile widened. "Is he now?" Rahl finished the apple in his hands. The only thing remaining of the fruit was the core. He tossed the core in a nearby trash bin. "This is getting to be very exciting. One way or another there will be a civil war. I think I'll root for my brother this time." He laughed.

"Have you thought about taking back your throne, Lord Rahl? It still belongs to you."

"I have not. I enjoy this life more. My interests have changed since I died and worked for the Keeper. I escaped the underworld and now I have a second chance at life. Ruling the kingdom no longer interests me. I have all that I could want right here." He gestured to the tower around him.

"I have the Mord'sith to protect me, most of the gold that I stored here, and my new little pet." He trailed off in a memory, "Keep me informed of this matter. If my brother wants to lead the kingdom then there should be nothing stopping him from taking over. Give him the chance to see how difficult it can be to rule when no one fears you. I'd like to see just how he handles being leader for once."

"Yes, my Lord." She placed her fist next to her heart and bowed. She turned on her heel and walked out. Rahl sat down at his elegant desk made of heavy oak and a gold trim around the corners. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Patience has its virtues no doubt. But Rahl was just content with sitting there in his tower retired from politics. He took many things for granted in his life but not anymore. He could do whatever he wanted now. The entire world except for the Mord'sith, Richard and his companions, and Nicci knew Darken Rahl had passed. He was going to take this time to enjoy life; the fruits, the elegant meals, the wine, the women; all of which he took for granted before he was to enjoy now. Starting with Nicci and his lust for a slow revenge on the woman…

Verna sat at the campsite the three companions had set up. She wrote in a private journal she kept in her bag.

_It is day three of our quest to find the Seeker. Again I am plagued with the same thoughts I had last time if we should find him. The last time I travelled to the outside world I lost two of my sisters. I hope this time I won't lose either one of them._

Verna looked up to see Mariette and Victoria bickering about the roast they were cooking.

_Sister Victoria was the first sorceress that I had brought over to the palace one hundred years ago. The palace had found out a young girl had the gift of magic inside. She was my first charge to retrieve. She just turned fifteen when her magic was at its peak. Back then she was afraid of her gift. The buildup of magic in her body was pent up and causing her endless trouble._

_The first lesson they taught us in the palace is that magic is unique. It manifests itself differently in everyone. Magic is unique to the person. Every sister was skilled in one way or another in magic. For some, healing came natural. To others it was difficult._

_Victoria's magic manifested in her emotions. When she was upset, objects around her were thrown about. Her manifestation also made her panic. I walked in with a shield made of my magic to calm her down. I promised her I could help her out but she needed to calm herself down first. I made the mistake of startling her by something I said. The dining room table was thrown towards me. My shields were stronger and held in place but not before it knocked me to the other room._

_Victoria felt horrible for throwing me to the other room. She willed her entire body to calm down. The poor child trembled afraid to even flinch._

_The welcome ceremony was joyful but Victoria felt uneasy about being alone in the palace. I stayed with her until she felt comfortable being by herself. She was also not used to being away from home. During training they found that by training her emotions she could wield her Han more effectively._

Verna looked up. Victoria rolled her eyes at Mariette and kept stirring the pot. Mariette kneeled beside her, a pout on her face. Verna smiled.

_I rescued Mariette sixty years ago. I had just become a full-fledged Sister of the Light and on my first week I was tasked to bring back a girl who couldn't control her powers. I was told she was wrecking havoc in the town. She ran away from home but left a magical trail. I found her by a river. Mariette's power manifested differently. Her magic was expelled suddenly. It looked like she was holding back magic. Mariette screamed as she tried to focus on her power, trying to control something she didn't know how to handle._

_I was able to calm her down for a moment. She begged me to get rid of that cause she had inside. Her tears poured down her face. I wiped her tears away and convinced her she had a gift given to her by the Creator to protect other people._

_We camped out by the river. In one week I was able to teach her to focus her Han just enough so it wouldn't cause her pain. She would send a soft wave of magic out of her hand and into the grass. The dead grass would change color to a luscious green. The smell of grass was strong. For the first time in a week she smiled and I thanked the Creator for her help._

_I took her to the palace without any further incident. I started training her at first before she was moved to a different Sister. She caught on to magic focused on nature._

_I taught her how to focus on her Han and tame it. Like her personality, her magic focused on bringing more life. Even now, she continues to bring that lovely personality with her._

_I will write more entries later. The girls are calling me over saying the food is ready._

Verna put away the quill and the journal in her bag and walked over to the pot of food.

"Thanks for catching the roast, Verna." Mariette said, "You have to teach us what you did."

"I will in time. I learned by a huntsman. I didn't hunt with a spear like he did. I used my Han to lure and trap the beasts. He taught us the rest." She explained. She began serving her partners first. "The key is to have patience." She handed the first bowl to Mariette.

"Yes, try teaching this one some patience." Victoria pointed at Mariette.

"Hey!"

"This one will set the trap, bait the trap, but then will charge straight at the creature."

"I would not!" She whined.

Verna handed Victoria a bowl.

"What did you do to this roast?" Victoria teased.

"I…" Her voice became a mutter, "ran straight for the creature."

"Away from the trap." Victoria finished for her.

"I will teach you both the patience for hunting on the field. The trick is to use your Han to make the creature think they're running from danger but they will be heading straight for the trap."

Verna served herself and sat herself near the fire. She dipped the wooden spoon in the soup and stuck it directly to her mouth. She preferred the soup to be near scalding. The soup was carefully seasoned and the meat was very tender. Mariette had prepared the meat while Victoria prepared the soup. The dish was excellent and she was sure to go back for seconds. Surely Mariette had bugged Victoria to the point of taking cooking classes. They were definitely worth it.

Tencom studied the glyph on the wall of the cavern. The symbols were in the High D'haran language, an older and more verbose version of the D'haran language. He didn't know much of the High D'haran language other than a few dozen symbols and words. He didn't speak it himself.

It was a dead language. It was only spoken by Lord Rahl, wizards, and the wealthy in the kingdom. Of course this was back when there were thousands of wizards in the D'haran palace and before the wizard war.

Tencom referred to his spell book. He looked for the chapter on High D'haran. He hunted for the symbol until he found one that matched the biggest symbol in the center of the glyph. The glyph had eighteen other symbols surrounding the border of the glyph.

"Fire." He breathed out. He put the spell book down and stepped farther away from the cavern walls. He shot Wizards' Fire at the door but nothing happened. With a puzzled look on his face he tried again. No result. He tried throwing a fireball at the target. No results other than the flames sticking to the door a moment. He needed help from another wizard; someone who could crack these riddles he kept encountering.

He grabbed his staff and touched the levitating crystal in the middle of the cavern mouth. He enchanted a magical barrier around the edge of the cliff to make sure the weather wouldn't set his progress back. The crystal teleported him down the cliffside to where another crystal was hovering above the ground. He needed to go back to the People's Palace and find a wizard willing to help. Hopefully their thirst of knowledge would overcome their lust for gold as well…

The next morning three men wearing metal chest plates and chain mail galloped towards the three ladies whom were in the midst of waking up. They noticed the smoke from their fire and changed course to investigate.

"My, my, my. Look at these lovely ladies here. What's your name, sweetheart?" The first man asked Mariette.

She squeaked, "My name is Mariette."

Verna rubbed the crust away from her eyes. She was unfazed by the three unwelcomed guests. "What is it that you want, gentlemen?" She asked.

"We just want to take you ladies out for a night of fun." The second person said, "Declan, you can have that one over there. She's too old for my tastes."

"Old? You want to take us out to some fun yet we don't know your names." Verna said. She stood tall.

"Name's Taylor." He wore a powder blue bandana tied around his neck. His weapon was attached to a holster on his horse; an axe.

"That's Declan." Declan wore a purple bandana around his neck. His weapon of choice was a crossbow he had within hands' reach. An arrow was already nocked on the chamber.

"That over there with the lazy eye is Edwin. Don't let his eye scare you. He killed a D'haran captain and he damaged his eye in combat." Edwin had his red bandana folded neatly in the breast pocket of his armor. Usually meant to holster a small blade, he used it to store his bandana. His weapon was a silver spiked mace.

"Take a hike, gentlemen. We're not interested in entertaining you. We have a mission to fulfill." Verna turned away from the gentlemen and began packing her things.

The three men laughed like it was a joke while Mariette and Victoria stayed close to each other. Both ladies felt uncomfortable with the current situation. Victoria wanted to hide Mariette behind her; the men's eyes were clouded over in lust. Mariette was like a younger sister to Victoria. The thought of someone hurting Mariette sent chills up her arms.

Taylor climbed down from his horse. Victoria and Mariette gasped and clung to each other.

"Come on, babe. Don't play hard to get. Everyone likes to have fun every now and then. Let me show you what I can do." He grabbed her by her arm. Verna in an instant withdrew her Dacra from her holster and held the weapon, in its folded position, at the man's neck.

"I said take a hike." Her voice was more commanding.

Declan picked up his weapon and held it at the ready and Edwin climbed down from his horse brandishing his mace.

Mariette and Victoria readied their own Dacras, releasing them from their folded state and the blade turned into a triangle shaped weapon.

"You don't know what you're doing." The man warned.

"I think you fail to understand what _you've_ done." She teased back giving him a smile.

Not wanting to look like a wimp in front of his men, he pushed Verna back and threw a hard right hook at her. She dodged with ease and popped him on the nose. A loud crack sounded out with his scream.

Declan aimed his weapon at Verna.

Victoria saw the action and threw her Dacra. Her blade knocked the weapon from his grasp. The arrow was shot but landed some distance to the side of Verna's position. Mariette threw her Dacra at Edwin; the knife hit him on the exposed flesh of his arm.

He shouted when he was hit. He went to remove the knife but Mariette screamed.

"If you remove that, you will die. Stand down!" She ordered; her hand raised directly at Edwin. Edwin threw down his weapon and raised his arms up in surrender.

The three men were gathered together and knelt on the ground with the three women surrounding them. Taylor held his nose, broken and bloody. Declan had his arms raised, and Edwin had one arm raised and the other to the side, the Dacra blade still stuck to him.

"Are you gentlemen going to stop harassing us?" Verna asked; arms crossed.

"Yes, ma'am." The three men replied in a defeated tone in unison.

"Remove the Dacra." She told Mariette.

"What now?" Victoria asked.

Verna eyes the horses and gestured to the other two women. "We take their horses."

The three humiliated men got up from their positions when the women galloped away on their horses. An awkward silence lingered on the men.

"How do we explain your broken nose to the saloon, boss?" Edwin asked.

Taylor wiped the blood from his nose. "We, uh. We say there was twelve—no! Fifteen men."

Declan chimed in, "Yes! And they were bulky men with heavy swords and cleavers and axes!"

"And we's beatthem up! Right, boss?" Edwin continued.

"Yes!"

It took five days for Tencom to reach the People's Palace in D'hara. He arrived famished and thirsty at the tavern. He placed 2 gold coins on the counter of the bar. "Give me the biggest meal you have and a large mug of ale." He slapped one silver coin for the waitress. "That's for you if you hurry."

"Right away, sir." She gushed and hopped to the kitchen area where she began shouting orders at the cooks. She hurried back and brought a pint sized mug to the dark wizard, practically overflowing with ale.

"There's more where that came from." She winked.

Tencom smiled and pushed the silver coin towards the young lady.

"I'll be back with your food in a moment."

Tencom gulped down part of the drink, his thirst beginning to quench. True to her word, not long after a plate of an assortment of cooked meat, baked potatoes, a side of seasoned vegetables and a fresh dinner roll on the top of a chicken leg was sent out from the kitchen. She set down a small side of a red jelly-like sauce.

"I threw in a side of a homemade berry sauce just for you, love." She winked and left him to his devices.

An hour later, he had almost finished the meal and was at a tankard and a half of his ale. With how much he drank he felt the warmth of the alcohol wash slowly over his being. His own tension eased away after the hot meal and cool drink.

He rotated his body on the stool, his mug in hand. He watched the atmosphere of the nearly full tavern. Some D'haran soldiers lingered at a few tables; there were some people dressed in wealthy clothes and a few others that looked like they didn't belong there. On one corner in a booth sat a man wearing a full cloak over his head. Part of his face was visible but it was unclear who was underneath it.

Sitting across the room there were a few people who looked less enthusiastic to be there. There was one in particular who clearly didn't belong in such an environment as this. They weren't dressed in fancy clothes. Only their chain main armor with scattered mud patches covered them. Tencom studied the group. They all had their eyes on a specific person. They eyed the person with a cloak over their head.

Tencom sipped on his drink. No one else paid that group any attention. Some of the wealthy whispered to their companions and pointed in the direction of the chainmail-wearing men, all looks of disappointment. No doubt they were talking trash about the group.

The leader of the men stood up. He had stubble from his chin all the ways to his ears. Even his cheeks were painted with his hair looking like fur.

"Can I get you something else, sir?" The waitress was back.

Tencom turned around with a smile on his face and placed his mug back on the counter. "No, that'll be all. Good food, great spirits, excellent service, and a pretty waitress. I'll definitely be back."

The young woman blushed and shied away, muttering a "thank you" to him.

Tencom grabbed his mug he had placed on the counter and took a hearty sip. His ears perked up when there was some commotion behind him.

He turned around to see the stubbled man grapple the cloak wearer and push him against the wall.

"What do you think, boys?" He removed the cloak to reveal a slender young man pale from the sudden attack. Tencom knew who the man was; an old associate he used to work with. They had learned magic from the best wizard of the Second Order. All wizards of the second order had pledged their undying loyalty to Darken Rahl. Any wizard who studied underneath them also pledged their loyalty.

Back then Iras and Tencom were not close. They considered each other associates and only called on the other when they needed their help. Out of the eleven wizards that were training under the wizard Ekius of the Second Order, only a total of five students remained. Iras and Tencom were among those five. The others were killed in accidents or their spells backfired. A few were unfortunate enough to cast spells higher than their level and lost their lives.

They became closer when they worked under the service of Alistair, one of the governors under D'haran rule. They were tasked to protect the governor at all costs. Working together, they were able to become closer associates. However, Iras was known to lie to become the favorable wizard among them. Tencom "talked" with Iras to never lie behind his back again or in front of Alistair. Iras got the message.

"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about." The stubbled man shoved Iras next to a bulletin board. It was then that Tencom saw the 'Wanted' poster with Iras's name. The bounty was two hundred gold coins. It was a not so fair amount for a wizard's head.

Tencom understood who the six men were; bounty hunters. The dark wizard continued to sip at his drink. He wanted to see how this was going to play out. It was rare that a bounty hunter ever killed a wizard. Those who did became infamous in the world of bounty hunters. Of course, most weren't dumb enough to hunt for a wizard to begin with.

"He looks exactly like him. It's Iran!" One of the bounty hunters said.

Tencom rolled his eyes, very annoyed at this man's lack of literacy.

"My name is Iras you dumb brute!" He defended himself.

The entire tavern had eyes on the two men. The stubble-man took out a knife but before he could brandish it in front of Iras, the wizard used his magic and pushed the man to the other end of the bar. Tencom raised his mug to Iras but no one in particular paid attention to him. It was a superb throw.

People began scattering around, trying to leave the tavern through the back way seeing as the confrontation was blocking the front door.

"He's a wizard! Get the bastard!" The other five members withdrew their arsenal; swords, knives, clubs and a man twirling a rope above his head.

The second man with the group grabbed the leg of the table, turned it over and started ramming at full speed towards the wizard. Wizards' Fire shot out of the wizard's hands towards the makeshift shield. Three feet away, the man turned his body and the flash of metal was seen curving towards the Wizard. Iras threw up a magical shield. The man stepped back. Iras shoved the man with his powers hard and threw him out of the window.

The third man charged with dual knives but Iras shoved him to the back of the bar. The body flew near Tencom and collided to the back wall, falling down with glass and wood breaking. Tencom easily jumped to the side, standing up and holding his mug with both hands. He drank from his mug without a care.

He leaned over the bar, "You alright, hunter?" His answer came in a pained whine that sounded like a dog got kicked.

A rope was thrown and Iras's hand was pulled towards the rope wielder. The fourth and fifth men charged at the Wizard. A spell was thrown but was blocked by the fourth-runner's shield. The fifth bounty hunter pinned the wizard to the wall.

To Tencom's disappointment the fight was rather anti-climactic. He rolled his eyes and groaned in disappointment. _Ekius's training couldn't hammer out all of his flaws, it seems._ Then again, Iras was never much of an offensive wizard. The man used to study symbols, spell circles and glyphs. He could draw the most complicated and intricate spell circles he had ever seen… Tencom's heart leapt where he stood and panic arose in him.

He watched the bounty hunters tie him down. Tencom needed Iras. Iras might know what that glyph meant. If anyone could crack High D'haran it would be Iras.

"Let him go!" Tencom ordered. The first man that was thrown across the room walked by with a limp. Iras struggled to see who his new savior was but could not lift his head with the rope wrapped around his neck.

"Piss off!" The beat up bounty hunter screamed in Tencom's face, "He's ours!"

"Alright." With a shove of his power the man was again thrown to the other end of the tavern. He landed on a table filled with half eaten food. The man lay sprawled over the table, his consciousness gone.

Tencom raised his clenched hands, aiming at the group.

"Damn the spirits! It's another wizard!"

"Step away." Tencom commanded.

Instead of making this easy, the bounty hunters gave each other a look and charged for the dark wizard. Tencom released the power he was holding in his left hand. The two bounty hunters on the left were blasted back. Loud cracks resonated throughout the tavern.

He released the power of his other hand and two other bounty hunters flew through the tavern windows outside. The last man took out a knife and stepped forward. Tencom shoved his hands forward and the last bounty hunter hit the wall so hard it cracked the ebony wood.

"My friend!" Iras cried, looking up from his very awkward and uncomfortable looking position.

"Shut up and stay close to me." Tencom waved his hand and the ropes unbound themselves from the other wizard. The two took off at a run away from the tavern before any more guards or other bounty hunters came their way.


End file.
